ADULT PSYCHOTHERAPY
I see adults for individual therapy and for couples or marriage counseling.
I also have specialized groups for adults - see the Pet Loss and Grief page.
I have over 20 years experience working with many different approaches to psychotherapy. There is not just one way that works for everyone. We will work together in the way that is most suited to you. I'll integrate my knowledge and expertise to find the best approach for you.
Most people ask, "What can I expect in therapy?"
Often people come to therapy when they are experiencing a crisis such as relationship problems, anxiety, depression, a loss, or because of an addiction.
In our first meeting I want to hear about what's on your mind, what's troubling you. I actively listen to your concerns, your worries, your feelings, without judging you. This alone is extremely helpful. People often say at the end of their first session how relieved they feel just to have talked about what they're going through with someone who listened! It is true that 'We are healed through being heard'. At the end of that session I'll tell you how I can help you with this problem. This session gives you the chance to experience what I'm like and how I work so you can see if you feel comfortable working with me.
You may have heard of short term therapy or crisis resolution. The issue that first motivates you to come to therapy is what we address first. As you talk about what's going on in your life, I'll give you feedback to help you understand and resolve this issue. Feedback helps you make the changes you want. When your initial problem is resolved, you have successfully completed short term therapy.
Some clients have more than one issue to work on or they want to make major changes in their behavior, including long standing, self-defeating patterns. This work is usually done in long term or insight oriented psychotherapy. Changing the patterns learned over a lifetime may take longer than short term treatment. Together we can find out how these patterns got started, why they are no longer helpful to you and ways to transform them to fit who you are now. Some people have described this as having taken off layer after layer of 'weightiness' that used to hold them back. Others say they feel like they've grown into the person they always knew they were but didn't know how 'to be'. Each person's experience is unique. For most of us it is a wonderful feeling to be yourself and to be happy with yourself.
Perhaps you are wondering which is right for you, short term or long term. That is somehting you can decide as we go along. We start with what is troubling you now. When that is resolved we talk about what you've accomplished and if there is anything else you want to work on. I'll always be happy to give you feedback but the decisions are yours.