Michael Sibrava

I like to end my sessions by checking in with my clients "How has today's session been helpful?" Most often I hear "It was just helpful to get this stuff out there." Having a forum to discuss thoughts and feelings gives a person a chance to "see" those experiences in a more accessible form. Those thoughts and emotions don't have to be garbled up in the head. For example, how much easier is it to do long division on a piece of paper rather than keep track of all those numbers in your head? I know if I go to the grocery store with the list or recipe in my head, I'm coming back with at least one item missing. Therapy also gives you an agent for change. In developing healthy habits, it's always more helpful to have a person to be accountable to. My job is not to criticize you if you don't accomplish your goal -- it's to join you in developing plan B, C, or D. That gets us to support. A lot of what holds us back in life and destroys our integrity is fear. Short of real, immediate life threatening circumstances in the here and now, fear is informed by past events that were or felt life threatening. Calming these fears often requires facing the painful memories with a compatriot. It's a privilege to earn your trust in that process. Therapy, then, becomes a process by I which I guide you in building your sense of strength, and guide you in relaxing your body. Those are the required ingredients for making better sense out of painful situations that you have endured.

Go at your own pace. Therapy can be an emotional and sometimes painful process. You do not need to share every detail of your life on the first session. It's important to feel safe, supported, and understood. It is a process that takes time to unfold, if there's something that is important to you, we will get to it.