Depth Oriented, Person Centered Counseling and Psychotherapy
Convenient to Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Raleigh, RTP, the Triangle
The specific benefits my clients seek vary widely, and they are often pleased and surprised to find therapy enhancing OTHER aspects of life in addition to the particular one that brought them to therapy. Here are some of the things people are looking for when they begin therapy or counseling. . . . a journey that can bring the specific benefit they seek, as well as an overall enhanced satisfaction with one's WHOLE life and self . . .
~ improvement in overall mental health and emotional wellness
~ a sanctuary of confidential, compassionate listening
~ relief from anxiety and depression
~ freedom from fears and phobias
~ creative management of life stress
~ coping during a period of crisis or transition
~ enhancing relationship and communication skills
~ strengthening family bonds, relieving family stress
~ learning to live well with chronic illness
~ building parenting skills
~ strengthening relational foundations through premarital counseling
~ enhancing marital intimacy
~ adoption issues, infertility issues
~ help with adult adoptee issues
~ surviving through and thriving after divorce
~ moving from single to satisfyingly partnered
~ deepening job satisfaction and vocational identity
~ healing from bereavement and loss issues
~ healing from childhood wounds and traumas
~ enhancing body image
~ support for addiction recovery
~ developing a more satisfying sexuality
~ building self esteem~ unlocking creativity
~ issues of midlife or aging
~strengthened will to live
~ development of zest for life
~ exploration of issues of meaning, faith, religion & spirituality
It's generally accepted that a newborn baby deserves extraordinary love and care NOT because it looks or acts a certain way, but simply because it is IS. Adults, on the other hand, tend to give themselves conditional support and valuation, based on variable traits and performance. In my experience, one of the most valuable and life changing shifts that can happen in therapy is learning to value yourself simply because you ARE - developing a stable and non-judgmental appreciation of and care for yourself - developing unconditional positive self regard. Apparently separate "parts" of our selves and lives actually compose an interconnected whole. Like elements in a mobile, when one part is moved or impacted the whole system shifts I hold the particular concern that brings a client to therapy in the context of their overall self and life, with the intention that the strengthening of that one aspect of life can and will impact and enhance their whole life. Therapy is one place to learn to use life challenges as doorways to higher levels of growth and self understanding.
As a basic human right we educate our children in math, science, reading and writing . . . But where is the curriculum for life? For the growth and maintenance of self esteem ? . . . The ability to feel, understand, and express our emotions? . . . Success strategies for achieving life goals? . . . Courage to speak our mind, and be ourselves without fear? . . . Communication tools that take relationships and group interactions to whole new levels? . . . Habits of mindfulness that enable enjoyment of the present moment, and open a gateway to our spiritual selves? . . Survival tools for stressful times? . . . Ways to keep the flame of hope alive in the face of adversity and discouragement? . . . People deserve for these learnings to be as commonplace and available as the ABC's. Good therapy is one place where these learnings can be gained.
To schedule a session, or a complimentary initial consult,
call 919-401-6111.
I like to tell my clients that they are the best and only experts on themselves, and that my role is to facilitate the growth and deepening of their self expertise. In therapy lingo, this is called a "client centered orientation". Specific techniques I might use are always held with this basic context, with the comfort and the quality of the relationship being foundational. As the poet Rumi put it,
"When someone asks what there is to do, light the candle in their hand."
