Taking Some Mystery Out of Therapy
I am not an expert in other peoples' lives. I do not tell people what their goals should be or what actions to take. Rather, my interest lies in helping people investigate where and how they actually experience satisfaction. This is a more commonsense undertaking than is generally realized. However, it is less commonly undertaken than is realized. The reason many of us don't know what makes us satisfied is that most of us have 'lost our senses' and come to rely on ideas or images that are not our own. I am interested in my client's decisions, but I am more interested in my clients' relationship to their decisions.
Most early meetings are consultations, during which basic dilemmas are identified, along with general strategies to increase satisfaction. From there, if wished, it is possible to focus on particular obstacles that an individual faces in getting satisfaction from their activities and relationships. This is a working stage that may not always seem productive, because the same problems may seem to be present week to week. My goal is to make possible a somewhat different experience each time a 'same' problem is confronted, by increasing, as possible, the clarity, directness, feeling and contact. This is sometimes called 'working through,' and I believe working through works.
I work with adolescents and adults . My fees are below the community average. In 2022 my full fee is $120 an (55 minute) hour, and a sliding scale is available. The goal is to achieve the benefit of an amount that has some significance, but also the assurance of an amount that is sustainable.