My Approach to Helping
The clients I work with often come to therapy with some obvious concern or thing they want to change. Often this is linked to something like depression, anxiety, social isolation, or some symptom they want to reduce. My job is to meet clients where they are and help work through what approach and what changes would be useful for them. In doing this I often tailor the experience to each client and work to uncover the important themes alongside the client. Everyone has unique and complex things going on, and needing a little help is natural. I operate from the lens of Existential-Humanism, I focus on the big picture questions of life and help my clients strive toward a more meaningful and satisfying way of being. I firmly believe that everyone needs a little help on the journey to finding a life that makes sense, and that everyone deserves such a life.
I start most of my work getting a better idea of what is happening for clients and working with them to guide where the work might go. Each client needs something a little different, and I customize my approach as needed to each person. I most often focus on thoughts, feelings, and actions as ways to promote change. I also incorporate lots of other and more outside-the-box ideas, like a dungeons and dragons therapy group or using technology to enhance the work. Personally, I am a huge nerd so also don't be surprised if there's a lot of shared references and relating to popular media or games and movies.
If any of this sounds like it would be useful to you, please don't hesitate to reach out and leave me an email or message. I'd love to see if I can be a part of your journey in a meaningful way.
More Info About My Practice
I currently work from my own practice, Adloquium Psychological Services. It is newly founded and looking to grow as I do.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
Most of my research and scholarly work has been in handling social isolation. I am particularly interested in how people experience it and how we might better help folks to feel connected again. Many people experience social isolation on a regular basis, far more than we usually would think. It can be primary or secondary to a concern in therapy, but it is something I am passionate about.
My Role as a Therapist
I view myself as a sort of guiding and shaping force in therapy. My clients often have the solutions to their own problems, they just need some help to get there. A lot of what I do is guided by what each person needs, and is always offered in a collaborative style. The hope is that by having such a relationship between client and therapist, both experience growth and change. My job is to make sure that change is in the direction my clients want and need.
My Therapy Focus
Typically my focus in the therapeutic space is on the goals and desires of my clients. The point of it isn't what I think you should do, it is what YOU think is going to be important. I, of course, offer thoughts and guidance, but my goal is to be aligned with my clients. Often in the first session or so I work with my clients to investigate some places or concepts to start with, and figure out what might be useful. The way I see it is that all the little things we do fit into a much bigger picture, and I try to keep sight of the broader world. I may bring goals and actions into context as I see it, but my focus is almost always on helping clients live more authentic and meaningful lives.
Had a Negative Therapy Experience?
Hey, me too! These happen and can provoke a lot of reactions. While each situation is unique, the most important thing is that fit matters. Sometimes a therapist isn't a good fit for us, like any other relationship. The important thing is to recognize that the fit issue is something that might be different with a different person, and might not even be about you! Sometimes there are just good and bad options out there, that's why I offer a free chat to see if there's a chance of a good fit.
What I Say to People Concerned about the Therapy Process
Therapy is hard, there is no debating that. Often, the hardest thing is starting. Reaching out and seeking that help is sometimes the scariest thing you can do. But, it tends to be worth it. The therapeutic process does have a lot of "it gets worse before it gets better", and that can feel really demotivating at times. That is the process though, and most of the time that means it is working! You have to feel it to heal it, as corny as that sounds. The goal is to have that discomfort matter and to learn to better navigate it.
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