My Approach to Psychotherapy
Therapy creates a protected space to bring care and attention to areas of confusion, pain, or stagnation that are troubling you.
It takes the form of a human encounter – two people in the room, talking together. As we talk, I will guide you in beginning to notice patterns of thinking, feeling, and being. If we listen carefully, these patterns can tell us something about who you are and what may be contributing to your present troubles.
Over time, this work creates a deepening of knowledge and acceptance of self. The result is that you may find greater clarity, freedom of choice, and satisfaction, perhaps even in ways you did not expect.
My style, which is influenced by the psychoanalytic approach, is warm, inquisitive, and challenging. I place considerable emphasis on nurturing the therapeutic connection, which I believe is the cornerstone of deep and meaningful psychological change.
You might be wondering…
-
This approach, which is a form of psychoanalytic therapy, may be a good fit if you’re curious about yourself and interested in understanding your inner life more deeply. It tends to resonate with people who want to slow down, reflect, and look beneath the surface of symptoms to the patterns, relationships, and meanings that shape their experience. It is especially beneficial when problems are experienced as long-standing or repetitive. For example, having a history of vague anxiety or depression; feeling that you can’t be “yourself” or act spontaneously; falling into one unsatisfying relationship after another; struggling with an overall sense of dissatisfaction with life; wishing for a more expansive way of being.
-
The decision to enter therapy is a serious commitment on the part of both therapist and patient. I see my role as providing consistent attention and attunement — essentially, creating an environment where you can explore and learn about yourself. As the patient, you will get the most out of the experience if you honor your own commitment to the work by attending sessions regularly and doing your best to speak freely, especially when it is difficult or when what you are feeling has something to do with your experience of me or the therapy process.
-
To build a consistent and meaningful therapeutic process, I meet with individuals at least once per week. I may recommend more frequent sessions to address significant needs and facilitate deeper and more meaningful progress. Patients who have sessions at least twice a week may be offered a lower fee in order to reduce the financial burden of deeper work.
-
This is such a natural question! The way I work, we practice being with whatever is present in the moment, with no preparation required. Think of it as an invitation to speak freely, whatever is on your mind. By following your thoughts, feelings, and even times when it is difficult to report what is on your mind, we allow your inner wisdom to emerge. Often, the moments where folks feel they have “nothing to say” are exactly where the most meaningful insights begin to surface. We will navigate that space together.
The Way Back
In this moment
some part of you knows
you have everything you need
to begin:
the compass arrow
of longing
tugging at your chest,
and the firm commitment
it's taken you
all these years
to make -
that whatever the distance
you will take
every last step
back to where your soul
has kept the fire burning
and will never
let it die.
James A. Pearson (excerpt)