Individual therapy can help you to tolerate painful feelings and experiences that have burdened you with negative beliefs about yourself. It can help you understand and work with your sense of isolation, anxiety and depression.
You have within you the power to create a life with a sense of purpose and meaning. In the process of therapy, you will most likely not change anything that is essential about you, but you will become more self-aware, less avoidant, more capable of tolerating difficult emotions. And the world may start to look different, as you take a fresh perspective and open yourself to new possibilities.
Were there Great Expectations?
Were you raised with high expectations? Do you have trouble finding your groove in relationships after being conditioned in the past to focus on results and external success?
For a lot of people, the inner world can be unexplored terrain. People I work with can often tap into their potential to transform their emotional lives while building on the ways they have already successfully adapted to the world, in relationships and at work.
Did you have to to Fend for Yourself?
When you were younger, did you face situations like bullying, or having to fend for yourself more than you should? You had to cope somehow, and found your way this far, but you might have felt empty, compliant and isolated as a result.
You might not truly let others in, using a false self, tuning out, feeling less connected to the people around you, even though you might cope well with the tasks of living.
Together, we can look at these sensitive parts of you with care, help you to find your way towards more fulfilling relationships where you can feel safer and more assertive.
Did you have to Fit In?
From our earliest days we are shaped by our parents and the culture we grow up in. But what your parents want for you can differ from who you are as a person. You can feel you’re falling short, feel ashamed that you can’t rise to your parents’ expectations.
Fitting in with peers as you go through middle school and high school can be a searing experience akin to a survival drama, it can feel like life or death to a teenager. Bullying can leave a lasting imprint of low self-esteem and distrust of others.
I can help you take a closer look at the expectations and assumptions you carry around, and perhaps to heal the trauma of difficult parent and peer relationships that have held you back from being able to find love and acceptance.
Getting in Touch
Psychotherapy can help you get to know yourself more deeply so that you can grow and develop your potential. I often start by working with people on the most pressing issues that they bring in, and hold in mind the needs they may have for personal growth.
Through the process of therapy you can learn to build resilience and confidence, taking the power away from older patterns of self-doubt and fear.
The people I have worked often come to see themselves and their relationships in new ways. They develop a more stable sense of inner purpose, an expanded capacity for feeling, and a greater ability to connect with others. This can add up to a life that is more fulfilling, a life worth living.
If it seems like my approach might work for you, schedule an initial phone call or call me at 415-598-8956.