Psychotherapy

What to expect

My approach is:

• Backed by science, not just guessing – by using psychological testing and properly diagnosing, we make efforts in the right direction and choose proper interventions
  

• Psychodynamic/ psychoanalytic – how do you use defenses and what hurts, why, how, and since when?  Indeed, our childhood and the past matter even when we grow up.
  

• Relational – from the way you attach and relate, you tell a story

• Trauma-focused – trauma shifts one’s internal compass significantly. Without a gentle re-calibration, no real growth can happen
  

• Emotion-focused – emotions are adaptive sources of resilience that form the core of our human existence

• Process-oriented – rather than seeking to check off boxes (“fix” symptoms), we know that any growth is a process that takes time
  

• Experiential – from the “here-and-now” experiences, we learn to be mindful and attuned
  

• Culturally-informed – people’s identities are so complex that we cannot fit any one individual in a tiny box, so we need the larger perspective of your tribe
  

• Existential – life is larger than its separate parts, but it is limited – how do we make (the best) sense of it?

• Mindful – present, intentional, observant

Therapy is a complex process that requires your commitment. It can be difficult as it may stir deep unresolved feelings and conflicts. Conversely, you may quickly begin to feel optimistic and ready to “start anew,” but it is not advisable to make any major changes during therapy. Hence, being in therapy can feel like hard work (and it is!), as it involves your attention and effort not only during the therapy-hour, but also outside of it. Hopefully, you will start to gain a greater sense of well-being, emotional connectedness and love, and trust. You may gain insights and become more emotionally attuned. Therapy can help you resolve internal conflicts and become more knowlegeble and accepting of who you are, regardless of self- or other-imposed standards. It can be, indeed, freeing!