Why therapy?

• Why don’t I just talk to a friend or family member?
• Do I really need therapy?
• What if she thinks I’m crazy?
• Why can’t I solve my own problems?
• Going to therapy is a sign of weakness.
• Things aren’t that bad yet.
• What if it makes things worse?
• All therapists are the same. I’ve been to therapy before and it did nothing for me.

If you’ve had any of these thoughts, you’re not alone. A fair number of my clients are new to therapy. Others have “been there, done that.”

Whatever the case may be, my initial goal is the same: to put you at ease and minimize any angst related to simply being there.

Naturally, I wouldn’t be in this field if I believed going to therapy was a sign of weakness. It’s not.

Most of us feel a little uneasy about opening up to a stranger. It involves being vulnerable, and who enjoys that? To be raw and vulnerable, to be authentic and real in the presence of others, is courageous. It’s a humbling experience and a great honor to be in the room with an individual who is sharing his or her authentic self in this way.

The only way to get past something is to go through it.

Therapy and the therapeutic process can be uncomfortable. So why do it?

We can’t “go around” our issues and there is no magic bridge over them. Trying to avoid our painful, or negative, experiences and emotions is what gets us into deeper emotional trouble.

Going “through” them means facing those uncomfortable, often painful emotions or experiences head on. We have to talk about, process, and understand them. Ultimately, this shifts our perspective in a way that helps us heal and move forward.

It’s Not all Doom and Gloom

Most individuals find a great deal of relief in the process. In spite of all this talk about how uncomfortable therapy might be, it’s not all doom and gloom. After all, the ultimate goal is to let go of, or find freedom from, whatever painful issues brought you into therapy to begin with.

As we work together, you are building skills and resources. Every client works at her or his own pace, and some clients continue in therapy with me for a longer period of time as they work through very deep issues. Other clients work with me for a short period of time and find themselves feeling much better fairly quickly.

I find that there is almost always something to celebrate in each session, and even when the work we are doing together is painful and uncomfortable, there can be joy.

I’m Here to Help You

Friends and families can be a wonderful resource. However, our friends and families are just that; they are not always objective. They don’t usually have the same knowledge base and training that we find in a professional setting.

By the same token, there are plenty of self-help books out there – resources. But, sometimes, we just need something more. Or something different.

The therapeutic relationship is special and sacred. It is simultaneously objective and deeply personal. It is connection to another that is based on safety, self-reflection, authenticity, validation, honesty, vulnerability, respect, empowerment, grace, and compassion.

My role as therapist is to join you in the therapy process by helping you explore, and understand underlying factors, shedding light on things in a way that brings about positive change and promotes healing.

I am not the expert on you, and I am not the authority. I am on this journey with you.

I will share my professional knowledge of concepts, family dynamics, personal psychology, growth, and healing. I’ll make use of and draw from both my professional experiences, as well as my personal experiences as a human being (authenticity). You share your knowledge of you.

It is through this process, with you sharing of you, and me sharing of me, that change happens.

Call me today, and let’s begin together!