Lindsay Shortliffe, Licensed Psychologist

I love being a therapist because I truly believe you get to see the very best in people. You watch people striving to make their lives better and to grow and sometimes you get to see them really create positive changes in their lives. I have seen people struggle with something for years and find their solutions through time in therapy, and this is what makes me passionate about the work. I feel hopeful about the capabilities of people and the world as a whole when I see someone make these kinds of changes or find ways of creating greater meaning in their lives.

I see myself as a carefully trained guide who uses the various interventions, therapies, and skills that I have gained through training and education to help you to find the answers to your concerns within yourself. While I can provide suggestions, guidance, and ways of uncovering inner beliefs, the road to your goals must be built upon your own values and beliefs about how you want to live in the world. There may be types of problems that I can provide research based information about, such as skills to help you get a better night of sleep, but in life's larger questions, the true answers must come from you.

Starting therapy can be anxiety provoking - it is filled with unknowns, can lead a person to feel vulnerable, and is sometimes accompanied by concerns about stigma. Many people find themselves putting it off, thinking, "things are not really that bad. I'm sure I can get by without it." However, I do encourage people to think about the fact that it can be much more difficult to make progress in therapy if you wait until a crisis point. Then you end up spending a lot of time managing the crisis before being able to work on the issues that led to the crisis building. You also may want to consider whether "getting by" is how you want to live. Through therapy, many people learn about themselves and about skills that cannot only help them face challenges that inevitably arise but also find ways of creating greater meaning and positive experiences in their daily living. Is it worth pushing through feelings of anxiety about starting therapy if it can help you make these kinds of positive changes in your life?