My Approach to Helping
Hi, welcome! When meeting a new person in therapy, I like to provide an environment that is open and accepting and approach people with a humanistic, whole person perspective. We all have problems but taking the viewpoint that people are defined by their problems does not appeal to me. For example, seeing someone as a whole, multifaceted person who happens to be in a situation of homelessness feels very different from saying "that is a homeless woman".
I have found that many of us learned to be unkind to ourselves in our heads and often speak to ourselves very critically and without patience and gentleness. The longest relationship we will ever have is with ourselves and I have found that how we treat ourselves makes a great deal of difference to our sense of well-being and happiness. When we have problems that feel insurmountable, we can work on breaking issues down in a way that helps us cope and makes them manageable. We can then begin to take steps that may be small but are still progress in the direction we desire and which will result in getting us to where we want to be in our future.
More Info About My Practice
I want to help people feel better. When anxiety and depression are managed and reduced by practicing self-care, our enjoyment of life increases. We can spend more time smiling and laughing and doing the things which bring us meaning and fulfillment. I want to help you enjoy the everyday moments, and not wait until something happens in the future that may or may not bring happiness. I want to help you enjoy your life in the present.
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
I enjoy helping couples be able to relate better to one another, decrease their conflict and increase their feelings of pleasure in their relationship. I feel fulfilled when I can help people learn how to calm themselves and care for themselves and spend less of their time being upset or worried. I love helping people experience healing after traumatic events they have survived including those events from which they may have even doubted they would ever be able to recover. Some people have wondered if they will ever feel good again or even feel good for the first time. Some are so surprised to find they even get to feeling great, which is such a huge blessing.
How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist
Life can be so difficult and at times, it can seem that some hurdles are too painful for us to overcome. Like many, I had a challenging childhood and tumultuous teenage years, and there were times I felt suicidal. I was in an abusive relationship with an older boss of mine and was also a stepmother when I was 18. I endured a considerable amount of sexual abuse and exploitation. There were times I turned to food, alcohol and excessive shopping and for a short time felt the temporary comfort that these addictive behaviors appeared to provide. I also have been a divorced mother, experienced workplace bullying and been a victim of random violent crime. Working through these issues (which took a while!) has helped me become the non-judgmental, strong person that I am today. I care about people and have a desire to assist and comfort those I come into contact with. I want to help make this world a better place for the disenfranchised among us.
Why Going to Therapy Does Not Mean You are Weak or Flawed
The purpose of therapy is to help people feel better. When we feel better we do better. Reducing the amount of suffering in the world is important to me. Life is difficult and suffering is all around us but we can make the world better one happier, calmer person at a time. We all have issues and deserve to have help. I want you to help you feel more empowered to be the person you want to be and to fill your life with people and activities that are pleasing to you.
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