How do I know if therapy is right for me? Therapy is not just for people who have a mental illness or a major problem. Truth is, pretty much anyone can benefit from meeting with a therapist. Therapy is a place to learn new skills to manage stress, to uncover your unique strengths, and to better understand the life experiences that helped make you "you." Some examples of things that I regularly help people with:
Struggling with an important life decision
Coping with the loss of a loved one
Learning to overcome a traumatic experience
Wanting to improve the quality of important relationships
Treating a specific illness, like depression, anxiety, or PTSD
Developing new skills to manage life stressors
Improving marital communication
Basically, people come to therapy for any number of reasons. It is normal to experience stress and changes in your mood, but that does not mean you have to "grin and bear it" alone. Stress can take a toll, leading to lowered self-esteem, energy, and interest in everyday life. While some problems can improve without therapy, wouldn't it be nice if you could lessen their impact in your life? Wouldn't it be extra nice if in the course of doing so, you learned new skills and strategies to effectively manage stressors in the future?
What does therapy entail? Therapy always begins with an intake appointment. In your first meeting with me, we will talk about your current issues, relevant background information, and your goals. Together, we will decide if therapy is appropriate, and, if so, decide how often we will meet (typically once weekly) and approximately for how long. In some cases, people only need 6 to 8 sessions (or fewer), whereas in other cases longer term therapy may be more appropriate. Therapy may involve just you, or perhaps a significant other, parent/caretaker, or child, depending on what your goals/needs are.
I never rely on a one-size-fits all approach to therapy. Every person is unique and I believe therapy should reflect that. Together, we will co-create a treatment approach that works for you.
Does therapy really work? Yes!! I only select therapeutic interventions that research has proven to be effective. However, like most things, you only get out of therapy what you put into it. You should only come to therapy if you want to -- not because you feel pressured or because someone is telling you to go. If you are ready for a change and feel motivated to delve into self-exploration, we can take that first step together.
I provide integrative therapy, thoughtfully incorporating approaches from Cognitive-Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral, Interpersonal, and Psychodynamic models. Check out the links below to learn more about these different modalities.