Guiding trauma recovery, strengthening inner resources, and supporting desired changes for adults and adolescents.
Individual therapy can help you figure out what's dissatisfying to you in your life, what you are willing and able to change, how to go about it, and what life will be like when the changes are in place. I will help you get a good picture of how you want your life to be. We might be dealing with traumatic material, both in the present and from the past, so therapy can be very intense. However, it’s my job to make the therapy room a safe place to look at whatever it is that might be holding you back. It's a place where you will be listened to and believed, guided and encouraged along your particular path of personal growth.
I work primarily from a family systems approach, which means I will be looking at your family of origin and how the patterns and coping skills you and your family developed are playing out for you in a negative way. We typically begin with a conversation about what prompted you to seek therapy at this time in your life. I'll listen, ask questions and begin to make connections. In the first session, I usually begin a genogram -- a sort of family tree that allows me to get a picture of where you came from and what dynamics were influencing you as you were growing up. We can use the genogram to discover patterns in your family history that might be negatively affecting your current situation.
Also in the first session, you have the opportunity to find out about my approach as a therapist. I will tell you about the techniques I use, and you are free to ask any questions you have about the process. |
