About Integral Therapy
Life can be challenging. We can't always handle it ourselves, or alone. There are times in everyone's life when they are faced with significant change, loss, challenge, grief, anxiety, or indecision. Even a powerful positive experience such as overpowering joy can be disorienting. Sometimes these experiences catch us by surprise. Sometimes they have been growing for a long time and we were not aware of them or weren't yet ready to ask for help. Then a crisis point is reached and you feel you need a helping hand (and a sympathetic ear).
Why seek a psychotherapist?
This is an excellent and important question. When personal issues reach the point where they are affecting your home and business life, they will take a toll on your health. They may affect your sleep, your blood pressure or even your immune system. Talking through complex life transitions with a neutral party who is trained to carefully listen and discuss such matters with you has been shown to be of great help. Therapy is not about
telling you what to do, but helping you make choices that are your own,
ones that work for you, empower you, and improve your life.
Talking about sensitive things with a total stranger can seem unnatural at first, and I have even had new clients ask me in their first session whether they are supposed to reveal their deepest secrets immediately. My answer is always no, because it takes time for trust to grow.
However, it is important to know that therapists are trained to avoid judgment and to listen in a special way to their clients' issues. This helps release the emotions that block us from living more freely and from feeling good about ourselves. This kind of listening is called unconditional positive regard.
What kind of therapy is best for me?
As you may know, there are many kinds of psychotherapy. Each type has its merits: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT),trauma therapies such as EMDR or Somatic Experiencing, psychodynamic, Self Psychology, Gestalt, Hakomi, and many more are available.
Research has shown that, in actuality, the success of therapy depends
more on the quality of the relationship with the counselor than on the
actual school of thought or the style of practice.
What if I am unsure of what to do next?
I welcome you to read this site and inquire about my practice. Feel free to contact me for a free first session where we can discuss your needs and you can see if there is a "fit" between us for further work together. I charge reasonable, sliding-scale rates.
