The Therapeutic Process
Counseling when truly explored is a journey. Whether you are finding yourself for the first time or healing from a life experience, it will take you places. The expectation is that you are dedicated to yourself; that you see yourself as worthy of growing and willing to do the work.
Not every session will meet your expectations and it is possible that some symptoms may become more pronounced at different points during the course of therapy but at other times you may feel empowered and uplifted.
Therapy is a commitment; we will work together in session and often a significant portion of work will be done by you outside of session (e.g., homework, daily exposures, and self-care). This process may ultimately help with shifting your inner perspective and thought processes in a healthy way, which may assist in coping with painful/disturbing experiences, identifying and making sense of schemas, resolving problems in relating to others, facing generational behavioral patterns, and perhaps stepping outside the box from which we have learned to live.
For me, working with clients includes modifying therapy to meet the needs of each individual; what works for one may not work for another. I pull from various orientations but mainly work under the CBT umbrella. I work with clients who suffer from various severe persistent mental health disorders, stress, and interpersonal communication challenges; however, I specialize in OCD and anxiety disorders. My approach to therapy is a way of being as well as the use of techniques best suited for the client. I work to maintain an unconditional positive regard for every client and will hold myself up to the highest ethical and professional standards.
In some cases, I may refer clients to a Primary Care Physician in order to rule out any organic causes of symptoms and in some cases, it may be necessary to refer clients to a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner in order to manage symptoms through medication. Clients maintain full autonomy and may choose their path of care.
No matter what brings you to this journey, the work we do together is based on the idea that counseling will elevate your thinking and help you to emerge from the fog; to become the best version of you. Therapy is a cooperative learning process through which, you may grow into realizing your autonomy and empowerment.