Psychotherapy can take different forms, but an important feature of all therapy is a comfortable working relationship with your therapist. This provides a safe space for you to speak about what has been troubling you. You and your therapist can explore how this is impacting your life, and how to best approach current stressors and make personal decisions. You might also explore the emotional origins of these issues. Your therapist will listen, ask questions, encourage insight and help foster change.
In individual psychotherapy, you will typically meet with your therapist once or twice per week for a period of time. How long you choose to work in therapy will vary based on your needs and interests.
I have been practicing psychotherapy for over 20 years and have been trained in a variety of treatment modalities. This has enabled me to develop an integrative and flexible approach to my work. I introduce different methods, as needed, over the course of our work together.
Some of this work is exploratory and psychodynamic in nature, providing you with an opportunity to better observe and understand yourself, your family and your connections to others. This work can help you see patterns in your life and develop insight into your relationships.
At other times, a more focused approach is useful. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can provide a structured means to attend to problematic thoughts and behavior patterns that often contribute to current emotional distress and compromised functioning. This can be particularly helpful with anxiety, phobias, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance misuse, as well as helping to develop more constructive communication skills.
I often work with my clients to develop more effective coping skills, particularly if individuals easily become overwhelmed or panicked. Frequently people feel out of control at these moments, and clients express great relief as they start to feel empowered to manage these difficult moments. That can become the foundation for reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed and for preventing these episodes from occurring in the future.
I work with individuals grappling with a range of concerns, such as:
I have several areas of expertise, particularly in helping women and men who have been traumatized at some point in their lives.
