About Therapy

There are so many questions and so many emotions.

In general, deciding whether to start therapy is a difficult spot to be in, and you probably have many questions.

“What will it be like? What will my friends and family think? What will the therapist be like? Will they judge me? Do I have to tell them everything? Does therapy work? What’s wrong with me that I am even contemplating this?”

No therapist can tell you that the decision you are about to make is easy, and no therapist can guarantee that if you attend X number of sessions, your life will dramatically change for the better. At least no therapist should.

I tailor the work we do together to meet your needs. I ask many questions and am generally curious; by asking questions, I will better understand where you are, where you came from, and where you want to go. There is no perfect therapy modality. Let’s work together to create a plan that best suits you!

It takes courage to seek help.

Few people talk about this, but you are in the majority regarding these feelings. Congratulations on taking this first step to check some therapists out!

Making this decision takes courage in and of itself. You are recognizing that the life you are currently living could feel so much better. Your relationships could be more robust, deeper, and more fulfilling. Your relationship with yourself could be kinder, more accepting, and more loving.

Take a breath.

The first step was searching for help. And I am so happy you are here. I am breathing with you.

I’ve been in this place and have felt much of what you are feeling. It’s scary to be here, yet hopeful. That hope leads to more fear, fear of being let down, of this not working for you, of having that hope crushed – once again. You are not alone.

Life can get better!

You have all the equipment necessary to live the life you want to live. I imagine you are asking yourself, “If so, why am I even thinking about going to therapy? I can do this myself.” Am I right?

Even though we can heal ourselves, we often need others to help guide us, encourage us, and challenge us to get where we want to go.

When my clients thank me for helping them achieve their goals, I am thankful for their compliments and quickly remind them they did the work. You are here. You want to do the job but don’t know where to begin. I get that.

How does this work?

Remember when you felt heard, seen, understood, and validated by someone? Now, think about how that made you feel. Pretty good, huh? Those are just the beginning of what you will receive when working with me.

We will talk about your past, your present, and what you want your future to be. But more than talk, I will commit to knowing you – not just the information and the details, but who you are and want to be.

By peeling back the layers of pain, hurt, blame, shame, guilt, regret, anger, and sadness, we will uncover you at your core, whether it’s the person you aspire to be or the one you once were.

While you often share during our sessions, I will interject questions or empathic comments, sometimes with challenges to your story. There may be tears (don’t worry, I always have Kleenex), laughter (I don’t know about you, but laughing through tears is one of my favorite things!), and there may be silences; all of this is normal in the process.

But, once again, you will not be alone. I will be right alongside you through all the turns, the ups and downs. Sometimes, I will be the guide; other times, you will take the reins, and I will follow where you need to go. Our work involves a collaborative relationship, and we work together to create the best plan for your specific goals.

Therapy with me is about YOU.

Whether this is your first toe dip into therapy or you have jumped off the high board many times, working together will be unique. If you are new to this, and your only frame of reference is what family and friends have told you or what you have seen on TV, in movies, or heard about on social media, throw it all away.

No two therapy experiences are the same. You are not the same person you were when you may have done therapy before. I am certainly not the same person as your last therapist. We create your experience together.

Yes, I do work out of therapeutic modalities; I’m not going completely rogue! Modalities are ways of approaching situations, feelings, and experiences. My therapeutic style is believing that not every method works for every client, situation, experience, etc., and no two experiences are the same. I may work with clients struggling with similar challenges, but my work with each client is specific to them and their needs.

I look forward to hearing from you and beginning this therapeutic journey together!