Looking for a therapist is an odd experience. It’s unsettling to think that you will be telling a complete stranger some of your most private thoughts and feelings. It can also feel as if the person sitting across from you will be judging everything you say and every movement you make.
In fact, the most important component of a successful therapeutic experience is the relationship between the therapist and the client. The chemistry must work.
The client must feel comfortable, heard, and respected. Perhaps most significantly, the client needs to feel that the therapist “gets” him or her.
For you to feel comfortable working with me, I want to share a bit about myself and my approach.
Therapy with Me – What to Expect
Just so you know, I have been in your shoes…
I brushed back my hair, balancing a backpack and a cup of coffee (without a lid!). The cup jostled in my hand as the weight of the bag shifted and coffee spilled on the floor as I opened the door. Great way to make a first impression!
That was my first visit to my therapist’s office over 30 years ago, and I will never forget it.
When you first enter my office, please know that I will do my best to make you feel comfortable and welcome. The office is decorated in light blues and soft grays. I have a solo practice, and there is a small waiting area where you can complete initial paperwork.
I always maintain a break of 30 minutes between clients, so you can be assured of privacy. I will offer you water, coffee or tea. (I have plenty of carpet cleaner and paper towels available if there are any spills! No worries.) As we head back into my office, you will be able to sit where you are comfortable while I quickly scan your paper work.
The question I turn to first is, “What do you want to accomplish in therapy?” Your answer to that will guide our first session, and we will explore your goals together.
In the first session, I will mostly listen and then make suggestions for daily activities at the end of the hour.
Finding the Right Approach
For depression and anxiety treatment it is important to know that there are many approaches which you may (or may not) find helpful. I will encourage you to try several practices daily for one week and then return to let me know what worked and what did not. We will experiment a bit until we find the ones best suited to you.
I firmly believe in the power of physical exercise (not necessarily the “feel the burn” kind, but something simple like walking), a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and a daily schedule of small achievable tasks. I will also encourage you to try some mindfulness meditation and breathing exercises available for free on your smart phone.
My goal in our sessions is to make sure that I listen carefully and seek to understand what you think and feel. You are the judge as to whether we will be able to work together.
The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and feel you can trust your therapist.
It is my sincere hope that you feel that trust with me.
About Me
I come to this work honestly. We joke in my family about the “Golden Genes” we have inherited. Alcoholism, depression, anxiety…the full catastrophe! If there is one thing I have learned, it is that mental illness can be managed.
Having worked in the affordable housing business for ten years before becoming a therapist, I understand the stressors of a competitive job where financial targets and project deadlines rule. I graduated from Stanford University with a BA, obtained a Master’s Degree from the Yale School of Organization and Management, and then a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I have worked as a therapist for 15 years.
Married for 30 years, I have three children. In our family, we maintain a two-dog minimum always. I love to swim (in the slow lane), bike (also in the slow lane), and walk (again in the slow lane). I practice yoga twice a week where I can be found losing my balance regularly. As may be obvious, I really value humor as a way to cope with tough times and keep perspective.