Individual Therapy

“Picture yourself in a boat on a river….”

Sometimes, it’s hard to picture yourself anywhere you really want to be. Or, if you can picture it, to believe that you can get to your destination!

The river of life can threaten to sweep you into stressful whirlpools and logjams or propel you over treacherous rapids and waterfalls that can lead to feelings of fear, entrapment, or hopelessness.

When the boat capsizes after an unexpected – and often unfair – life event or experience, it’s normal to feel anger, despair, and frustration. Your nervous system can flip you into the frantic “fight or flight” mode – or even into a numbing freeze response.

But how do you navigate those treacherous waters successfully?

In times like those, the sure guidance of a highly trained therapist can make all the difference.

Think of me as your guide – someone who can help you find your own strengths and resources to navigate toward calmer and safer waters – where you’re supposed to be most of the time.

That’s my goal for you!

How does it work?

We can easily view individual therapy as a three-stage process.

Of course, every person is different! We will account for that individuality within these stages to notice some flexibility and variation based on your specific needs.

However, marking and naming each stage can clarify questions or misconceptions.

Stage One: Opening the Door

Deciding that the same old-same old isn’t working and that you need help is the start of the therapy process. This decision alone can be a catalyst for change and open up new brain pathways.

The advice of well-meaning family and friends just isn’t cutting it. Or perhaps they’ve even recommended therapy (that can be hard to hear).

Beginning your search for individual therapy requires a courageous step into the unknown – does the right help actually exist? It’s exciting, but it can also be a daunting challenge.

Your goal in this stage is to find the right therapist or another resource for the specific help you need. You may have a false start along the way, but taking action to find help is the most important thing.

Stage Two: Doing the Work

Though possibly well-meaning, if early parental role models haven’t taught the skills needed to manage certain challenges and feelings, you can find yourself in an endless cycle of repeating unsatisfying patterns that hinder your growth and progress.

Therapy helps you cast off the outgrown masks and worn-out behavioral patterns through stepping outside the box, undergoing gently guided – but sometimes challenging – explorations of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. All these things tie directly to your actions.

Therapy offers you a safe place for processing – where grappling with and finding meaning in that initial set of emotions and circumstances, learning new ways to access your internal strengths, and acquiring new skills come to the fore.

It takes time and works to picture yourself where you really want to go in life, but it’s worthwhile. Finding meaning in it all can be a way out of hopelessness.

Finally, you regain hope that you can change things.

Stage Three: Integration

Bringing newfound coping skills back into your life, making healthy life changes, deepening relationships, making successful transitions – these are the fruits of therapy.

You now have increased self-knowledge and the ability to bring your new self to those around you, possibly helping them.

You’ve surmounted the problem that brought you to therapy, and you can now cope better with other problems as they come down the pike.

You can now terminate therapy – you have triumphed! Reach out today! (720) 770-1782