Depending on the situation and goals of a client, counseling sessions might continue for several months or longer. Perhaps a number of difficulties have accumulated over months or years, and lifting the emotional burden of that weight can feel overwhelming. An excruciating wound in the past might be buried under superficial hurts or irritants. I work in partnership with clients to peel back each layer of difficulty — perhaps anxiety, sadness or anger from past trauma — until we uncover what it is that interferes with achieving a productive, satisfying life.
Exposing hidden layers of trauma or grief can be painful. However, memories of the past can also enable you to understand the present. My job is to help link those past experiences to methods of handling challenges in the present. That, in turn, makes it possible to move forward with energy and optimism.
I enjoy working with artists, political activists and men and women in midlife who want to change direction, or who are concerned about ethical, financial or political implications of career choices. The work sometimes includes explorations of early life experiences and their effects on subsequent choices. Throughout the process I encourage clients to appreciate their strengths and abilities, combining aspects of both in-depth therapy and coaching.
RESULTS ACHIEVED BY CLIENTS IN INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP THERAPY
- Timid women developed skills that enabled them to speak up for themselves, maximizing the probability of achieving goals, while minimizing risks of negative results.
- Teenagers, many for the first time, recognized the dangers of "addictive love," defined their goals and chose to create lives free of abuse.
- Men whose sexual behavior had been habitually risky developed ways to ask for, and practice, safe sex.
- Self-identified "fat" women learned how to treat themselves with the respect they ask of others and began to feel more optimistic. They decided they didn't have to postpone making changes until a time when they would be "not fat." They applied for jobs, registered for college or pursued other activities.
- Lesbians who abused their partners learned how to develop patterns of nonviolent behavior, which enabled them to gain more of what they wanted in their relationships.
- Women anticipating or experiencing menopause learned about the wide range of reactions to hormonal changes, and discovered ways to minimize menopausal discomfort and appreciate the next phase of life.
Check back to see when other groups are in the works. I welcome suggestions for topics to be explored in new groups.