Getting Help

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" --- Mary Ann Radmacher

I like this quote because it speaks important truths: Change doesn't always happen dramatically, and it usually requires a lot of persistence! Sometimes, though, determination and persistence aren't enough -- we succeed only at working longer and ineffectively. Then we get tired, frustrated, and discouraged because our efforts aren't making any significant difference. That's when, instead of working "harder," we need to work "smarter"!

What is "psychotherapy"?
While we may courageously endure and sincerely try to improve ourselves or change a difficult situation, we tend to use the only tools we've got. Sometimes those tools aren't enough. Or we use the right tool at the wrong time, or in the wrong way. Psychotherapy is a way to get some new tools, to learn to use more skillfully the ones we already own, and to have a safe place to practice using them with some guidance and support. (Have you ever gone to Home Depot or Lowes and discovered a nifty gadget you didn't know about – and it really did prove to be a time saver? Now you use your electric drill, but sometimes you still like to use grandpa's old screwdriver that's in the kitchen drawer?) Psychotherapy is about having a choice of tools, instead of using only what you first bought or were given, or trying to work without a tool you didn't know even existed.

Why do people see a pschologist?
People consult with a psychologist for several reasons. These are some of their goals, and these are areas in which I am trained to help.

• Learn new behavior
• Improve self-management
• Stop destructive behaviors distressing to self and others
• Cope better with stress, anxiety, emotions and mood
• Reduce the negative impact of chronic physical and/or mental illness
• Build better relationships
• Resolve marital problems
• Strengthen abilities to choose and be a loving partner
• Parent more effectively
• Decrease conflict; increase fun, connection, and intimacy
• Appropriately assist impaired family members, aging parents
• Deal effectively with difficult people and demanding work situations
• Embrace change
• Leave poor choices and unproductive situations behind
• Explore options
• Create more meaningful, manageable, and rewarding lifestyles
• Heal, grow, and be happy
• Overcome the negative effects of damaging life experiences
• Regain safety, self-respect, trust, and confidence when recovering from victimization
• Resolve grief and transform losses into well-earned wisdom and valuable life experience to promote better choices and future alternatives
• Clarify beliefs, values, and questions of faith
• Strengthen one’s ability to act with courage, competence, and integrity

Is psychotherapy right for you?
Psychotherapy is a resource for proactive individuals wanting to solve problems, enrich their lives, and attain their personal and professional best. It requires a strong desire to:

1. get “unstuck”
2. be open to new information
3. experiment with unfamiliar skills and strategies
4. tolerate discomfort -- “wait it out” while sorting through complexities, confusion, and soul-searching
5. decide and develop a plan of action; take informed risks
6. assess results, revise accordingly, and move forward!