About

My approach to treatment is very much informed by how I try to live my own life. As the saying goes “teachers teach what they most need to learn themselves”. I am not a big proponent of some of earlier styles of Psychoanalytic treatment whereby the therapist gives little information to the client about themselves, and then waits passively for the patient to begin a process of “projection”. While I do think boundaries are very important within the therapeutic relationship, boundaries that are too rigid can impede treatment and create an atmosphere of distrust on the part of the client. Oprah Winfrey was once asked the question in an interview “what do you know for sure”. She was so stumped by the question that she started to use the question in her own interviews with some of her guests. So here is one thing that I know for sure after 20 years of practice: Clients cannot heal in an environment where they do not feel safe. So, first and foremost, my job is to create a therapeutic relationship that fosters a sense of safety. Once that is established, exploration of things that may have once seemed to be too frightening to look at, suddenly seem less daunting and manageable to explore. My job is to create an environment that feels safe and free of judgement, so that the client is able to explore solutions, or process experiences that may have felt too overwhelming to address in the past. Healing only takes place when human beings feel safe enough to be vulnerable, to experience and express feelings that may have long remained in the unconscious. To my thinking, the purpose of therapy is to raise consciousness, increase mindfulness, improve coping skills, and assist clients in discovering their own innate abilities and personal strengths.