“People only seriously consider change when they feel accepted for exactly who they are.”
Individual Therapy
I provide individual psychotherapy to clients ages 18 and older. I typically meet weekly with clients, although the frequency may decrease or increase given a client's specific needs. Regular meetings at the start of therapy are particularly important, as these meetings allow us to better understand one another and clarify what our work together will look like. Meeting weekly also allows us to use the time for less "check-in" time and more time to work toward goals on which we have agreed to focus. Length of counseling and frequency of counseling sessions depends on client needs, therapeutic goals, available resources, and our approach to therapy.
The first task of individual therapy is to collaboratively identify goals of therapy. These goals tend to fall into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals tend to be more concrete, related to the client's reason for starting therapy, and often targeted on reducing emotional discomfort or pain that the client is experiencing. Long-term goals often fall into the realm of increasing insight to relational patterns, exploring purpose and values, and navigating the complexities of life changes. Goals are unique and vary for each client, and clarifying such goals is important insofar as it informs the broader work of counseling.
In my approach to therapy, I strive to create both increased insight with concrete changes (e.g. coping behavior, increased assertiveness, emotional resilience). Often times counseling will not be helpful to clients when they are receiving only increased insight or only strategies to change. Working with clients toward validation and acceptance in therapy is a necessary step to move toward authentic change and growth.
One lens in individual therapy that I always consider in therapy is clients' relational health. I pay particular attention to how their reasons for seeking therapy might be informed by, and perpetuated by, their relational style. Therefore, I often will explore with clients how their relational style is impacting their life, and even how it is impacting the work of counseling. Identifying how relational styles are happening within counseling allows for the opportunity to understand these patterns and explore alternative ways of relating to others.
Check out my "therapeutic approach" page for more information.