Psychotherapy is one of the most thoroughly researched and proven methods to help people with a variety of problems, including but not limited to: anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, anger, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic attacks, relationship or marital problems, trauma or PTSD, ADHD, and more. Regardless of what you may be experiencing, our experience has shown that therapy can be an invaluable source of self-improvement to our clients. It can also serve to enhance motivation to take the necessary steps in helping ourselves.

Therapy is not a quick-fix, although many of our clients report significant improvements within a few sessions. We practice evidence-based (scientifically researched) psychotherapy that has been studied extensively and time-tested to enhance feelings of peace, contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, meaning, and purpose.

The short answer is: is anything you want! Mainly we will be discussing your experience being you. This does not have any specific limitations, but may include how you feel about yourself, your relationships, your history, how to maximize your strengths, and how to eliminate the roadblocks that perpetually prevent you from growing and reaching your goals. While we are very comforting and empathic, we are also here to challenge you and teach you how to challenge yourself. Many clients express that they really appreciate their therapist’s ability to be straightforward with them, confront them when necessary, and simply be real with them – as this is sometimes lacking when speaking with well-meaning family, friends, co-workers, etc. This is of course done in a very compassionate, skillful way though, and we never force anyone to speak about anything they are not comfortable with.

Many of our clients come to therapy not really knowing what their goals are yet, and we help them to establish their goals and what direction they want to take. We will also be discussing helpful, constructive tools that you may be able to use to cope in healthier ways, manage stressors more effectively, as well as ways to eliminate, reduce, or heal the suffering in your life. Building on the strengths, tenacity, and courage within us will also be discussed in our sessions. Some of our clients initially express hesitancy to talk about their past because it’s just “too much to go over in one session.” While we certainly will not discourage you from talking about the past, we always like to let clients know that there is never any pressure to speak about anything that you are not comfortable with at any moment, nor are there any expectations to let us know every minute detail of your past. While the past and future are undoubtedly very important, we are present-focused, and believe that whatever needs to emerge, will emerge naturally. Sometimes facing difficult, painful feelings and memories is a necessary part of therapy, but we can guide you through this process in the most compassionate, supportive, and safe way possible – and at your own pace.

This will depend on the reason you are coming for therapy as well as what you want to get out of therapy. Most of our clients start out coming once per week, but sometimes given the situation, we may discuss coming more or less often. This is always a two-way conversation, as we let our clients do what feels right for them. For instance, sometimes with issues such as substance use, severe depression or anxiety, or a recent trauma, extra support may be needed for some time. Sometimes clients choose to come bi-weekly or once per month, as this may be more conducive to their schedules and/or situations. Similarly, some clients may choose to come to therapy for only a few weeks or months in order to acquire some new skills that they can easily implement in their lives. In other situations, some clients may need more sessions to delve into how their personal history led to the patterns that they want to change.

Some clients choose to stay in therapy for ongoing support to sustain the positive changes that they made in their life as well as identify new areas for self-improvement. We certainly do not want to rush the therapeutic process, but we also do not want to keep you in therapy for longer than you want or need. We encourage you to speak openly about this topic with your therapist, as this decision is generally collaboratively decided, given each individual’s progress in therapy.

We do not prescribe medication, but we can provide referrals to local psychiatric professionals or other medical professionals when necessary. This is only done on a case by case basis, and this decision is made collaboratively with the client when needed. We do have strong relationships with many psychiatric professionals in the area, and we are often able to help clients get appointments within a short amount of time (despite long wait-lists) when needed. That being said, for many human struggles, we believe that psychotherapy and lifestyle changes should be the first line of defense before considering medications.

You won’t know until you try! In all seriousness, therapy may be right for you if you are struggling with a mental, emotional, or behavioral dilemma, and can’t seem to get it under control on your own. Or perhaps you are able to keep it under control sometimes, but it still gets the best of you other times and is continuing to cause stress, pain, or suffering in your life. Many of our clients who have made enormous strides in therapy, initially came in also wondering if therapy was right for them. Many of our clients who now feel content and at peace, came to us initially experiencing substantial feelings of shame, anxiety, sadness, worry, and/or confusion. If you feel like you need someone to talk to who genuinely understands, who can offer you valuable feedback and support, therapy may be for you!

Most people come to therapy to start or continue the process of relieving suffering, gaining valuable insight and awareness, implementing actionable goals, and finding solutions to what may initially feel like unsolvable problems. Let’s face it, the world we live in today can be quite lonely, nerve-racking, depressing, overwhelming, meaningless, and superficial. In a profound way, therapy can help us reconnect with ourselves, the people in our lives, and the world as a whole. The world today is also quite beautiful, joyous, and meaningful – sometimes we just need help recognizing and experiencing these aspects of it.