My Approach to Helping
I enjoy helping clients navigate the difficult relationships in their lives. So much of our lives revolve around relationships- significant others, family, and friends. Healthy relationships are safe havens from the stress of the world around us, but unhealthy ones can cause endless turmoil in our lives. I enjoy working with either individuals or couples who are finding their relationships difficult to navigate, are not sure why, and feel helpless and too overwhelmed to fix it. My approach to therapy includes spending the time to really get to know you and your problem, as well as involving you in deciding what we're going to do about it. For couples, I use Gottman Method techniques and am trained through Level 3. Additionally, I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), which applies to treating a wide range of client issues from childhood abuse to PTSD to anxiety. If you are feeling frustrated and unsure what to do - well, that is what I'm here for. I'd love to help you sort things out.
How Psychotherapy Can Help
Most therapists would tell you- EVERYONE should go to therapy! While talking to a friend or family member can help sometimes, they are lacking two things that your therapist has in spades: training and objectivity. First, training: therapists go through years of specialized training in psychology, mental health disorders and their treatment, listening and communication skills, considerations of working with special populations, and many other areas. In fact, just like doctors, teachers, and most other professions, therapists are required to continue to educate themselves in order to renew their licenses. In addition to the basic requirements to keep their license current, most therapists spend much of their own time and money investing in trainings and additional certifications that will deepen their skills and make them even more effective when they are working with you. The other important thing your therapist offers is objectivity. Therapists intentionally keep their relationship with you on a professional, or therapeutic, level. This allows them to view your life's problems from the outside, and remain objective, without being emotionally involved. This enables your therapist to, when needed, confront you at times about how you may be contributing to some of your own problems, or flaws in your thinking that are increasing the problem. Incidentally, this is part of the reason why therapists stay away from treating friends or family members of their own; the loss of objectivity makes therapy less effective.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.
