The Work

It is important that you have an idea of what psychotherapy treatment looks like with me. Psychotherapy is dedicated to helping you understand yourself. It will involve exploring feelings, perceptions, and beliefs about yourself and others, understanding how and why self-defeating or painful patterns of living have developed, and learning how to sort them out. I am committed to helping you discover and speak the truth of your experience, including the parts of you that may have been left unspoken and unknown. I will assist you in the process of becoming more connected, open, and accepting of your experience. We will work together to understand your struggles and to manage the feelings that can emerge from opening up.

As we work together, it is important that we have a mutual understanding of what our goals are and how well we are proceeding toward them. With clients of all ages, some problems can be solved relatively quickly while other may require months or years. However our work unfolds, there is a good chance that we will encounter times when you feel frustrated or dissatisfied with me and with the work. It is very important at these times that we discuss your feelings and perceptions and attempt to understand and resolve them. This can be a crucially important and valuable part of our work together. There will probably also come a time when you feel that you have gotten all that you can from your therapy. When you decide to end your therapy, it will be important that we discuss that, too, and take the time to review what we have accomplished and anticipate what might lie ahead for you.

It is my belief that when people become informed consumers regarding mental health and available counseling or psychotherapy services, obtaining proper treatment is much more likely. As an informed consumer, it is your right and responsibility to choose the therapist and therapeutic approach best suited to your needs. In the course of my work as a mental health counselor, I have often been gratified to see clients benefit from the process of therapy. Of course, the effectiveness of therapy depends to a large degree on how much we are able to talk about your reactions and questions concerning the work we do, as well as your ability to take in new information that may challenge your own understanding of an issue or conflict. I will never require you to do anything against your wishes but may encourage you to do so only with your best interests in mind. It is my duty and professional interest to provide you with the best possible care.

Please communicate with me if I can be of service to you by clicking on the contact link or by contacting me by phone (206) 280-3771.