Psychotherapy For Individuals And Couples

You don’t have to suffer. There is research to show that talk therapy works. See “Off the Couch and into the Lab” Scientific American, February 2010. Individuals are helped by psychodynamic therapy and the healing power of a therapeutic relationship. The article cited above provides a good description of psychodynamic therapy.

Medication is a consideration, but not always essential. The importance of coping skills in alleviating and preventing episodes of symptoms is firmly established. We have a more detailed understanding of what those skills are and how to teach them. Structured approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy are examples.

While I am primarily trained and experienced in psychodynamic psychotherapy, I have additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. When more structured approaches are indicated, it is important to refer to programs or other providers in the community.

To take the first step, call me at (585) 262-2820.

What brings couples to seek therapy? In my 18 years of couples’ counseling, the most common complaints have to do with:

• Chronic fighting,
• Unhappiness and feeling “out of love” with their partner,
• An affair,
• Poor communication,
• The depression or anxiety of one or both partners,
• Chronic illness or disability,
• Imbalances such that one or the other feels taken advantage of, or not listened to,
• Disagreements over children, finances, or alcohol/substance use.

How does it work? Couples’ counseling with me begins with an assessment of mutual and individual issues, both past and present, that impact a relationship. An assessment typically includes an initial couples’ session, followed by one or two individual sessions, and a final couples’ session. This format may vary depending on what is revealed in each session. Assessment may result in a recommendation that the relationship is best improved by each partner engaging in their own individual psychotherapy.

Ongoing couples’ therapy develops a couple’s understanding of each others’ strengths and weakness. Working out differences in the presence of an objective listener and facilitator leads to improved solving, communication, and empathy for one another.

Sometimes it is best that a relationship come to an end. Counseling may help a couple arrive at that conclusion and end the relationship with civility.

To take the first step, call me at (585) 262-2820.

Mary recently completed Level 1 of 3 levels of training in The Gottman Method of couples therapy and has integrated aspects of this approach into her work with couples.

Older adults and their families may wish to enter counseling for support and help as they deal with the emotional challenges associated with later midlife and aging. Through counseling, you will learn about community resources, grieve the losses you’ve faced, address the emotional blocks to aging happily and wisely.

For example, are you or a loved one stressed by:

• Retirement or delayed retirement?
• The illness or death of a spouse or partner?
• Your own chronic illness?
• Separation from your family?
• Increasing loneliness and depression? (Depression is the most common mental health issue for older adults as reported by the Office of Aging)
• Fears and anxieties about your future?
• Feelings of not being important anymore
• Finances?
• Questions as to how to make your life as rewarding and meaningful as possible?
• Family issues as you start the process of developing your will, power of attorney, health proxy, or advanced directives? Are you avoiding starting? (Older adults tend to wait too long to create these documents.)

To take the first step for yourself or a loved one, call me at (585) 262-2820.

Healing takes time. With support as you move through the stages of grief, you can find the strength to rebuild your life.

To take the first step, call me at (585) 262-2820.

“When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something’s suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful.” — Barbara Bloom

Survivors of trauma (such as car accidents, war, robberies, and childhood trauma or sexual abuse) often experience severe anxiety, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression; substance abuse; and troubled relationships. For some childhood abuse survivors, the effects of what they went through have been underestimated.

What you can expect from therapy is relief in being able to talk, at your own pace, about what happened to you. Talking to an objective listener trained in trauma recovery leads to feeling understood and not judged. Learning to work through upsetting memories and emotions to achieve acceptance and move on with your life is the goal of therapy. You will be forever changed by what happened. However, you can be changed for the better and live a life enriched by what you went through not diminished by it.

To take the first step, call me at (585) 262-2820.

As a former teacher, program director for individuals with learning disabilities and ADD, group facilitator for adults with ADD, you can be confident that I will bring this experience to bear on our work together.

To take the first step, call me at (585) 262-2820.