Intro to Therapy…
Jumping in is the hardest part
If you have never entered therapy before it can feel daunting to start. All sorts of worries or fears may come up about what that means however most people find that once they start those concerns quickly fade. It is often helpful to ask any questions you have about therapy prior starting including basics such as logistics, fees and frequency of meeting. You can be assured that therapy is not something that is done to you but is rather a collaboration between you and the therapist to work toward healing. There are lots of tools and methods that have been refined through extensive research to be very effective. But simply being able to talk things out with a neutral third party can really help as well. Feel free to ask any questions you have prior scheduling an appointment by emailing me here.
Therapy Approaches
There are as many therapy approaches as there are different colored kittens and finding the right fit matters! If you have tried therapy but found it lacking somehow or not all that helpful consider giving another approach a try. It matters whether an approach has been applied to real world people and proven itself through positive outcomes in applied study but where the rubber really hits the road so to speak is through client feedback. Over the years clients have indicated that a handful of approaches seem the most helpful to them- and believe me I’ve tried more than a handful! Some of these are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Schema Therapy and tools from Dialectial Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy as well as Mindfulness based skills. I have completed advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy via The Beck Institute for general mood challenges but also specifically for Anxiety concerns.
For couples I utilize Gottman Therapy, Collaborative Couples Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intimacy Coaching for couples and much much more. I have completed advanced training in Gottman’s couples therapy and Collaborative and Cognitive behavioral therapy for couples.
To learn more specifics about specialties follow this link…
A Note about Diversity…
I hope that at some point in your life you have been completely comfortable and ease at being whomever you are in that moment, free of judgement, persecution, anxiety or fear. I hope that you have experienced not only acceptance but love for who you are unadorned or contrived. I hope that you have felt cherished and delighted in and honored and that others have shared joy in who you are.
I view the unique forces that each individual experiences as an important aspect of my work. Cultural, ethnic, immigration experiences, generational position, and family have a large impact on identity and values and are interlinked with how we navigate and find resolution around problems in our lives. My experience has taught me that the client is the best guide to their unique cultural experience. Common questions addressed in this work include: How do I adjust to a new environment? How do I navigate different forces of independence and togetherness? How do I integrate country of origin influences and familial expectations into my new life? How do I manage inter-generational conflict and different ideas about dating, marriage and values? With my clients I work collaboratively to help craft a pathway to integrate and reconcile the cultural and family of origin influences on thoughts, beliefs, values, choices, career and life path while fostering the supports of family, friends and mentors. Some of the concerns that thread through couples and individual work have included addressing the stress, frustration and loneliness that can accompany adjustment to a new lifestyle or country.