How Therapy Works
The lobby of the hotel was lit for the late afternoon light, very cozy and quiet. I was attending an all-day conference and got tired of the florescent lighting, so I escaped to the lobby. On the chair catty-cornered to mine was this older gentleman sitting quietly. Eventually the man and I made eye-contact, both of us measuring the other’s desire to engage. This seventy-something year old man was extraordinarily gentle, with this soft low-pitched voice and warm dark eyes. I immediately felt at ease.
He told me he was visiting family and attending his own conference for internal medicine. He clearly appreciated the peacefulness of the lobby. We talked for twenty minutes or so, and then he asked me how I thought psychotherapy with my patients actually works. He looked at me with such interest and with such an open heart that I was speaking before I knew what I was going to say. “I help people become who they really are.” And he smiled.
I believe that we best grow in pairs. Neuroscience has detected mirror neurons that are actually hardwiring in our brain for the experience of empathy and attunement. We often need another’s mind and gaze to know where we are and make meaning of it. Change also often relies on another’s gaze. That’s why self-help books fall short, for no matter how engaging the author, too much of the work is essentially done alone.
My Background In The Arts And My Approach To The Healing Process
I have always been interested in climbing inside someone else’s skin to feel what it’s like to be them and see the world from their point of view. Because of this fascination, I pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree when I was younger. Both art and psychotherapy are interested in a similar thing——exploring and understanding how humans experience themselves and their world. But over time I realized that, for me, sharing someone else’s real human experience is far more powerful than conveying that experience through art.
Since everyone’s story is different, the therapeutic process is infinitely changing and multifaceted in its specificity. Psychotherapy is never the same from one client to the next or one session to the next. That is what makes it unique. And never boring.
My approach to the healing process is fun, warm, and open. It’s anything but cold and clinical. In sessions with me, I’m sure there will be lots of laughter—I laugh a lot, and people describe my laugh as boisterous and infectious. At the same time, psychotherapy is a time for you to vent your grievances and share your sorrows. Part of what I love about psychotherapy is that it encompasses the full range of human emotions—it can be funny, quiet, heartbreaking, and uplifting. You don’t have to put on a good face, and you don’t have to hold back your feelings.
Here, you can become who you really are.
Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, relationship difficulties, or any other emotional troubles, I encourage you to pursue therapy with me. By working together, we can broaden your horizons and help you craft a legacy of creativity and fulfillment. I look forward to hearing from you!