Discovering new possibilities
While men and women come to see me for a variety of reasons including help with depression, and anxiety, there are two areas in which my experience and approach can be particularly helpful.
Navigating Significant Life Transitions
One of the powerful ways people use psychotherapy is to navigate and make meaning of significant life transitions. During periods of transition individuals are experiencing many internal and external changes, which can evoke feelings of excitement, sadness, confusion, and hope. These important life transitions are opportunities for growth and self-discovery, while also being times of uncertainty, fear, and internal chaos.
Many individuals come to me for help with the following kinds of transitions:
Entering or Leaving College or Graduate School
Making Career Changes
Mourning the Death of a Loved One
Moving
Beginning or Ending a Romantic Relationship
Coming Out
Retirement and Aging
Times of transitions can be like lightning rods for unresolved issues and unexplored feelings. Psychotherapy can help you understand how the changes you are facing are affecting your relationships, your sense of yourself, and your day-to-day functioning. Through our work together, you can expect to gain a deeper awareness of the impact of particular kinds of transitions on your life and find ways for you to make choices so that you are engaged in process of change that is occurring.
Changing Self-Destructive Patterns
I see a broad range of people in my practice, many of whom struggle with self-destructive patterns of behavior. While aspects of their lives may appear to be going well, their self-destructive side has a strong hold on them and prevents them from fully engaging and enjoying their lives.
Self-destructive behaviors manifest in a number of different ways, including:
Substance Abuse
Damaging Relationships
Eating Disorders
Chronic Procrastination
Obsessive Worries and Thoughts
Harsh Self-Criticism and Low Self-Esteem
Lack of Self-Care
I understand that you may use these self-defeating behaviors to help you manage the internal pain and external stress you experience and that it often feels like you cannot live without these coping mechanisms. But while your self-destructive patterns have helped you cope on one level, they probably have also isolated you from the people and activities that bring you joy, pleasure, and a secure sense of yourself. This isolation leads to immense pain and suffering.
In our work together, we can become curious about these parts of yourself that have kept you from fully reaching your potential and engaging in your life and relationships. Exploring these demons can be scary and painful, but as we come to know them, they begin to lessen their hold on your life.
Through the process of therapy, you can gain a deeper understanding and acceptance of yourself, allowing you to let go of the old self-destructive patterns that have protected you and kept you isolated from the people and world around you.
While helping individuals navigate important life transitions and change self-destructive patterns are two areas of expertise for me, they do not include all the difficulties I treat in my practice. If you are wondering if I can help you with the issues you are struggling with, please feel free to contact me.