FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Therapy with Adults
Q: What types of therapies do you offer for adults?
A: I work with adults in individual therapy, group therapy, couples therapy and family therapy.
A: The basis for any kind of psychotherapy, regardless of "technique" or approach, is the relationship formed between myself and the person with whom I am working. People who come to therapy usually want to feel their therapist is able to relate to them in some way AND that they have special skills and tools to help them with the problem that brought them to the therapist's office. In the course of the first few sessions, this is sometimes communicated in words; but just as often the most powerful communication is non-verbal, just like in other types of relaionships. The therapeutic relationship is certainly a different type of relationship than that of parent/child, spouses, friends, or family members; but it is a relationship nevertheless - created specifically for the purpose of growth and healing in one's life. Some people report great benefit from the unique opportunity to simply have an ongoing conversation with someone who is not a part of their outside life - someone whose perspective can be more objective who also has special training in how the mind works, the dynamics of relationships, along with other aspects of personal development.
Couples can benefit from meeting with a person who is trained in the dynamics of intimate relationships and the sheer presence of a third person in the room can open up some of the stuck positions couples get into in the course of their partnership.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (sometimes called psychoanalytic or exploratory psychotherapy)
Cognitive Psychotherapy (identifying dysfunctional thought patterns and beliefs which are influencing you in ways that are not adaptive or keep you stuck in problem patterns or behaviors) along with associated emotions or affects
- Interpersonal Approaches to Psychotherapy
- Ego State Therapy (the basis for EMDR) for many types of problems
- Experiential techniques using the expressive and creative therapies (e.g. poetry, art, music, journaling)
- Treatments for complex trauma & dissociative disorders which utilize blends of psychoanalytic and cognitive therapy approaches combined with adjunctive techniques that can be helpful to trauma processing and stabilization
Adjunctive Therapy Approaches for Trauma Processing & Resolution include:
- Hypnosis, Ego State Therapy (EMDR is based on this), Somatic Therapies, DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).
- Expressive Therapies such as Art & Journaling are used as adjuncts to the treatment of trauma & other problems
Q: How long does therapy take? A: This question is frequently asked, understandably, but the answer is "it depends." Psychotherapy that involves identifying some of the core sources of difficulty a person has had in their life and gaining insight into repeated patterns which have unconscious contributions will necessarily take more than a year, possibly several years. Part of it depends on the presenting problem, but part of it also depends on the goals. Short term therapy can be very satisfying and effective if the goals are explicitly stated at the beginning and clarified as necessary throughout the work. As just one example, therapy with individuals who have complicated trauma histories can take more time, partly because the therapy must be carefully paced so the client isn't retraumatized. We discuss this as therapy proceeds to ensure my goals are in line with that of my client. Also, individuals who have multiple problems may require more time to address the interacting nature of their difficulties (e.g. substance abuse in addition to anxiety).
Therapy with Adolescents
Q: How do you work with adolescents?
A: Adolescents come to therapy for many reasons and those reasons very much determine how to approach the treatment. An adolescent who wants to talk things over or have a place to express herself is very different from an adolescent who is in trouble and has arrived at my door because those in his/her life want behavioral changes. It takes different skills to engage these teens, some overlapping and some unique to the particular teenager.
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