My Practice

AM I THE RIGHT CONSULTANT FOR YOU?
Psychologists are not all alike! There are many different schools of thought, training, personal and professional experiences, personalities, interests, and areas of expertise that influence who they are and how they can help. You have to be the judge of whether or not a particular psychologist can best assist you.

I like my job. I get to work with courageous people who challenge themselves to learn new behavior, build better relationships, welcome change, move past damaging life experiences and through grief to transform their losses into well-earned wisdom, productive action, and a better life. Sometimes though, my clients don't know they're courageous. They only know they're hurting, unhappy, frustrated, or "feeling stuck" when they first pick up the phone and call.

Psychotherapy sometimes is like The Wizard of Oz: It's a journey that helps you discover your brain, your heart, and your courage when your mind feels stuffed with straw, your heart feels frozen with rust, and in general, you'd just like to hide behind a tree! Getting "unstuck" requires new perspectives. It is starting down a yellow brick road where you have to contend with confusion and tangle with what gets you entrapped; find places to rest, supportive friends, and grace along the way; and ultimately realize it's not The Great Oz who is going to get you home, but rather the power in your own "ruby slippers." BUT you didn't know you had them until your own desperation and The Great Oz helped you notice what was right there at your feet.

For awhile, you're hiring me to be The Great Oz – the "authority" who, with any luck, is going to frustrate you sometimes, tell you to "go away!" (to do your homework), and has the good sense to finally close the door and get out of your way. I'm not as mean as the movie Great Oz. (Hmmm, wonder if some of my former clients might disagree….) While I am short and I can be cranky, I generally strive to be kind, ethical, informative, interactive, responsive, and a rigorous coach who can be helpful to you.

I believe that painful problems are best resolved with patience, careful thought, and gentle humor. Different things work with different people, and we have to decide what might be the best path for you. Routes based on others' life experience and research-to-date often prove most reliable – but it's up to you whether we go the interstate, local roads, or hike the Appalachian trail. (Most of us elect not to bulldoze a forest in order to pave a whole new road, but there are some who prefer to do things the hard way.) Cognitive-behavioral therapies, including "DBT"; relationship research by Dr. John Gottman, as well as other clinicians' findings; and most importantly, clarification of clients' own spiritual faith and values often provide great mortar for fixing loose bricks. There's no substitute for experience-- both yours and mine! Your strengths along with my 20 years of professional expertise can create rapid progress and help you get where you need and want to be.

Copyright © 2005 - 2007 Beverly D. Brooks, Ph. D., P.A.