Therapy is a collaborative process…
People often think of a counselor as someone who listens to your story, evaluates the situation, and tells you what to do. However, therapy is not one-sided like that. A counselor is more of a guide – someone to understand your challenges and walk with you, side by side, to help determine the best path to take. Although I’m an expert in counseling, you are the expert on yourself and your experiences, so both of us must take an active role to bring about significant change.
The relationship is key.
Success in counseling is largely determined by the strength of your relationship with your therapist as well as your belief in your ability to get better. For this reason, I work from a strengths-based perspective. This means I will help you build your confidence by finding your strengths so you can learn to use them to your advantage, while gently challenging you to make changes and look at things differently. Progress happens when I’ve earned your trust and you’ve settled into your strength and ability to make changes.
Some reasons to seek therapy:
People seek therapy for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s important to seek a specialist. Other times the best thing is to interview a few therapists to see who you click with. You need to feel comfortable enough to be relatively uninhibited, and that can only happen when you’ve established trust with your therapist. The following are some reasons people may seek therapy (all of which I am well-versed in treating!):
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Self-Esteem
- Body Image Issues
- Disordered Eating
- Questions of Self-Identity
- Relationship Issues
- Anger Management
- Family of Origin Issues
- Recovering from Abuse
- Sexuality Issues
Life events that therapy can help with:
Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes a strong person can get derailed by the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or stress due to an overly-demanding work or home life. It’s OK to seek help in these times! Sometimes a few “check-up” sessions are all you need to get you through a tough time. Other times, it can open the door to making a bigger change in your life or mindset. I truly believe life challenges are opportunities for self-improvement, we just have to figure out how! The following are some life events where therapy can be helpful:
- Transitions
- Grief & Loss
- Divorce or Break-Ups
- Career Changes
- Dating & Relationships
- Aging & Retirement