People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Because of depression, anxiety, conflict, or trauma. Because of a broken relationship. Because life is devoid of joy, or stressful and overwhelming.
Or because something is no longer working or something has happened – a death, loss of a job, a harrowing experience – upsetting the way they see themselves, their relationships, even the world around them.
Therapy is a place where you can figure out what’s going wrong, how to do things better, where you’ve gone awry, where and even why you’ve gotten stuck. At its deepest level, therapy is about personal growth. It’s about understanding how the past has informed the present . . . and changing the future.
Research has shown that it is not the specific technique or theoretical orientation that makes the difference in therapeutic outcome. It is the relationship between therapist and client. To that end, whether working with my clients on relieving symptoms or exploring behind those symptoms to build insight and self-awareness, I bring empathy, warmth, and thoughtfulness to each encounter. There are no shoulds and shouldn’ts. What is important is understanding the unique life stories my clients bring to me and tailoring treatment to meet their goals and alleviate their concerns.