My Approach to Helping
I select strategies according to what I think best addresses the needs of the person I am working with. My therapeutic approach draws from several theories. I start from what the present isses are (things that are getting in your way) and I often find a thread from the past that leads people to respond to things in maladaptive ways. Although I find it helpful to know about history, I try to keep the focus on understanding how the past affects current functioning. If there are issues in the past which have been sufficiently dealt with and the client feels at peace with, I do not feel the need to dredge it up. I also believe people are affected by certain deeply held beliefs (or cognitions) they carry with them (eg I need to be perfect, I am unworthy, I am not lovable, I am not important etc). Often these are rooted in past upsetting emotional experiences. I have helped many people to let go of these destructive beliefs, so they are free to respond to the present unencumbered by their past negative emotional experiences. Insight oriented therapy and EMDR are helpful tools to achieve these goals. For more information on EMDR, please see my website.
