Counseling & Support for You
and Your Family
Individual and Family Psychotherapy
People often come to see me when they are feeling stuck or unhappy with their self or in their relationships. Psychotherapy sessions offer the time and space for clients to express themselves in a safe and comfortable environment.
I team with clients to help them look at what might be bogging them down. Whatever the problem may be, paying attention to how one feels and interacts with others can provide valuable information. This work can help people feel less stressed and more energized.
I work with adults and teens individually, as couples, and/or with their families. The first thing I want to know when we first meet is what is the problem that brings you here? After we talk about the problem at hand, I will ask you some questions in order to get to know you and your family of origin better. Even if your family lives somewhere else, my training and experience as has shown me that we are all connected and that we all operate as part of a system. What this means is that if one person has a problem, chances are that this has is having an impact on family and/or spouses even if we don't consider ourselves to be close to them.
Some issues or patterns can repeat themselves throughout many generations. This is why I will draw a family tree or "genogram" for each person I see in therapy. The genogram contains facts about births, deaths, illness, and schooling and also lists information about how people relate (d) to each other. Sample questions might include were there unspoken rules in your house growing up? Who was known as the "responsible" one or the "baby of the family" and why? It is this type of exploration that can set the stage for the work we will do in therapy.
I usually see people for short-term talk therapy. It is my understanding that most people are doing the best that they can within the situation they are dealing with. It is not helpful to blame but it is important to understand why things play out in a certain way.
In addition to family systems, I use some cognitive/behavioral techniques and art therapy as tools in my practice. I believe that it is valuable to learn relaxation techniques to begin to sit with how you feel, tolerate it, and breathe through it.
To make an appointment, feel free to leave a confidential voicemail or send an email.
