Therapy Works!
Over 40 years of research consistently shows that people who go into therapy do better than 80% of people who do not.* Many people have very poor understanding of the research backed effectiveness of psychotherapy because the mental health field has done a poor job of educating them about it.
So, like any good investment, the time, money and energy you put into therapy is very likely to give much more back to you.
For drug and alcohol issues, be sure to pick a therapist with solid experience in these areas. To learn more about my approach to substance abuse go to my article on addiction.
Client-Centered Psychotherapy
What does this mean?
Your therapy experience will be based on your needs, desires, ideas and preferences. I will follow your experience of the therapy closely by asking you frequently for feedback through simple rating tools that I have integrated into my practice. These tools help me ensure that you achieve measurable results through your investment in the therapy. Although this is not common for therapist’s to do, it is backed up by research and can greatly benefit you, the client.
Therapeutic Approaches
Seasoned therapists tend to borrow from a wide variety of theoretical approaches to help their clients more effectively and efficiently. My training includes the following approaches:
- Psychodynamic
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness
- Gestalt Therapy
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Behavioral Medicine
Will I Get Feedback from the Therapist?
The most common complaint I have heard from new clients is that their past therapist was not active enough and forthcoming enough with feedback. I am a naturally interactive therapist. I believe that therapy works best as a dialogue back and forth. I will ask for your input throughout the process and I am responsive to my client’s need for feedback at times.
How Quickly will I see Results?
When therapy is working well, there tends to be indications of progress within the first few sessions. Research indicates this. This is a sign I always look for and if it is not happening, I address the situation to see what needs to be done differently. You will be asked to collaborate throughout the therapy experience about what is working for you and what is not.
Many people come to therapy with concerns about the time needed. Seeing the signs of progress at the beginning greatly helps relieve their concerns. It is critical also, that we continue the dialogue regularly about what is helping and what isn’t to keep the momentum going.
Support System
I encourage my clients to develop their support system in conjunction with the therapy. When clients do this, they make changes is their lives much quicker than those who don’t. My clients are only with me one hour per week, so whatever they can do to get support during the week, can help them reach their goals more quickly.