Healing & Growth
Therapy can support you in quieting your busy mind so that you can hear yourself think. It can be tough to tune into your authentic voice when stress and anxiety get in the way. Connecting with friends and loved ones when you are feeling dissatisfied or depressed can be hard too.
Imagine waking up in the morning without dread, being able to speak your mind without worry about offending someone, deepening connections, and having confidence in your ideas and decisions. It’s possible.
What Happens In Therapy
First, we’ll look at various solutions to symptoms that are negatively impacting you, like obsessive thinking, worry, or harsh self-criticism. My approach is warm, direct, and interactive. We’ll practice mindfulness and self-compassion to help you learn how to lessen anxiety so that you can relax and rediscover what you’re passionate about in life.
Along the way, we’ll explore your history, make plans for change, and celebrate incremental success. I use EMDR therapy to aid you in processing the past. Realistically, it takes patience and a willingness to look at hard stuff which we all have to varying degrees. Just as facing the difficult realities of your history can be uncomfortable and painful, acknowledging personal growth and building acceptance of self can be liberating.
Length of Time
How long you stay in therapy depends on you. Some people see a degree of symptom relief after the first 30-days. For sustainable change, 6 months to a year or longer may be more realistic. Remember, it could have taken 15-40 years for the behaviors you’re trying to change to develop. It takes time and patience to truly adjust adaptive behaviors and feel more comfortable in your body.
I find that focusing on the process is more important than a focus on time. Impatience is not generally a productive or kind partner to change. And I firmly believe that change is possible for everyone.
Find the Right Therapist for You
Finally, the most important thing you can do to get positive results from therapy is to find a therapist that you feel comfortable with. A person who is a little bit familiar and one that can also challenge you.
Call or email me to set up a 30-minute consultation at no charge or to schedule a first full appointment. I work with individuals aged 18 and up.
More: Why Therapy? (blog post)