Ruby Linhan, Psychotherapist in Columbus, 43202

Ruby Linhan, LISW

Profession(s):
Psychotherapy
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Social Work - I.1101086

My Approach to Helping

Are you curious about how to live a richer, more satisfying life? Or wondering how you can finally grow into the person you want to become? Perhaps you know exactly what's not working for you at the moment, or maybe you have a vaguer sense that something's just not quite right. These are the kinds of questions people like you bring to me as they begin their work in therapy. The most wonderful moments for me are when my clients are able to enjoy and accept themselves. I'm known for my warmth, honesty and good sense of humor and I have fun supporting people through their work of finding their own strength and power-- whether they felt they never had power or lost it through a distressing event. As a Gestalt therapist I believe we are all able to recover this strength and create the lives we want.

More Info About My Practice

No matter what brings you to therapy we will work together to address it. To make therapy more accessible I offer evening and daytime hours, online scheduling with email appointment reminders, and accept all major credit cards.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

I enjoy working with adults who have experiences of flashbacks, unstable moods, thoughts or acts of suicide and self-harm, intrusive visual, auditory and bodily memories, losing time, and internal parts or voices who seem to be distinct people (these symptoms are often diagnosed as some form of Dissociative Disorder). The goal of treatment when people come in to therapy with these issues is to heal the wounds caused by childhood abuse and other traumas, clarify the distinction between past and present, develop skills to remain in the present moment and in one’s own body, and reduce inner conflict and create relationships among distinct parts of the self so that you can function effectively and easily. While clients struggling with these issues are able to report moments of joy and pleasure in the process, I know that this is hard work– but I want to be clear that it can really be done. I aim to provide the right amount of support for each client so that she or her is able to complete this journey. My clients who work with me on these issues often report that this is the first time they've felt like they've been truly heard or seen. Other issues I enjoy working with are helping adults learn how to develop healthy boundaries, feel empowered, and deal effectively and satisfactorily with relationship conflicts. I like to work with teen and preteen girls who are struggling with self-esteem issues and/or self-harm behaviors.

My Role as a Therapist

My role as a therapist is to support and guide you through your process of discovering, digesting and then transforming your truth so that you can create the life you want. My interest is in helping people do much more than adjust to the lives the have-- I enjoy helping people transform themselves and their lives so that the two are harmonious.

My Therapy Focus

No matter what specific concerns bring someone into therapy with me, in the background is always my interest in helping each person figure out how to live a richer, more satisfying life and encouraging them to grow into the person they want to become.

Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist

Work with a therapist you like and respect. This may mean finding someone who can balance her/his warmth and support with firmness and helpful boundaries.

How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist

I have been in therapy and have difficulty imagining that I would be able to sit with my clients and be authentically present if I hadn't gone gone through my own struggles and continue to attend to my personal growth.

What I Say to People Concerned about the Therapy Process

One of the initial tasks of therapy is to establish a sense of safety and identify each person's sources of internal and external support. Sometimes a person may not yet have learned the skills for self-soothing and self-care needed for facing painful feelings-- in these cases we begin developing these skills in the very first session. I do provide crisis support via telephone sessions when appropriate and at times in the therapeutic process this can be an important resource for people. I also have noticed over the years that people, in general, do a pretty good job of knowing what's too much for them to handle-- and when someone tells me that they're not ready to do traumatic piece of work I respect their judgement.

Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance

The relationship between a client and their therapist is the most powerful component of successful therapy. It is in the context of the therapeutic relationship that people are able to try out new ways of being in the world and get feedback on the effectiveness of these changes. The therapeutic relationship can also be a space in which unmet needs from childhood can be met and that pain can be soothed. People who work with me can expect me to be truthful with them and to like them.