Individual Therapy

Wait a minute. Nobody said it was going to be like this.

Life has turned out to be way more tiring and challenging than you imagined.

Perhaps you’ve somehow managed to keep up the façade that you’re doing okay – when nothing could be further from the truth.

You avoid people – because you can’t stand the dreaded question, “How are you?”

You give the expected answer of “Fine,” but you’re screaming on the inside, fighting back the tears. Because you’re feeling anything BUT fine.

You can’t hide it anymore.

Maybe it’s becoming more and more apparent to the people in your life (your friends, your family, your boss) that you’re struggling.

You avoid returning phone calls, you’re having trouble concentrating and getting work done, you’re running out of excuses to turn down invitations, or, worse yet, you back out of plans.

Either way, constantly feeling like you’re just putting on a show, treading water, in survival mode, or hanging on by your fingernails is getting old on a good day – and is downright exhausting the rest of the time.

Maybe it doesn’t have to be this way. Maybe therapy can help.

When is enough… enough?

Certainly, several challenges and problems are a part of life. They’re all part of being human and, often, they can even be helpful – believe it or not.

Negative emotions like sadness, shame, guilt, fear, worry, envy, and inadequacy are not bad in and of themselves. But when these challenges and emotions start to interfere with your ability to have healthy relationships, complete your work, or take care of yourself, they become a problem.

A healthy amount of anxiety can help you anticipate potential problems and come up with solutions. But too much anxiety can paralyze you – or cause you to avoid dealing with a problem altogether.

A healthy amount of anger can help you stand up for yourself and set healthy limits. But anger that leads to a screaming match, name-calling, or a fist through a wall… less helpful.

If you’ve reached the “but” in any of those situations, it’s time to try a new strategy.

Therapy can help…

…you understand the problems and challenges you’re experiencing.

…you heal old wounds and develop healthy coping skills.

…build self-worth.

…improve communication and relationships and forgive those who have wronged you.

…you forgive yourself.

Therapy is not a quick fix. It takes courage and vulnerability and requires you to choose growth and healing over comfort.

And it’s all worth it.

CBT, IPT, MI, DBT, EMDR? What do they all mean?

You’ve likely heard a variety of acronyms for multiple different types of therapy. You may have had some personal experience with one or more of these therapeutic modalities and have an idea about what you are looking for.

Either way, figuring out what type of therapy might help you most can be confusing.

My approach is to use one or more therapeutic modalities to tailor a specific treatment plan to address the issues and problems you want to resolve.

Many therapists will say that they take an “eclectic” approach to their work; however, this term is often overused and can make it sound like no clear direction or process guides the interventions they might be using.

You deserve a tailored treatment plan.

One of the problems with practicing only one type of therapy is that old saying, “When all you have a is a hammer, everything becomes a nail.” What happens if you have a screw but no screwdriver?

For this reason, I draw from multiple types of therapies to create a tailored treatment plan.

Are you plagued by negative self-talk? Do you want to change specific behaviors? Then a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach could be a good fit.

Are you distressed by relationship problems or grieving the loss of a loved one? Then an Interpersonal Psychotherapy approach would make more sense.

And, as you can imagine, you may struggle with both negative thinking and interpersonal problems, in which case, you might need strategies from both types of therapy.

While I might draw from multiple types of therapy to create your tailored treatment plan, I stay within the scope of my practice, experience, and training.

Beware of therapists who say they can do everything.

I have training and experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy, Infertility Counseling, and Motivational Interviewing.

If I don’t feel I can help you, I’ll say so and help you identify other referrals whenever possible.

Your pain matters. You matter.

There’s no prize for having the worst problem on the list; and, if there were a prize, it’s one you don’t want to earn.

No matter how big or small you think your problems are – if you’re struggling to work through them on your own, then you deserve the care and compassion necessary help resolve these issues.

Show yourself the compassion you deserve.

Reach out today (734) 263-6644 and let’s get started!