Counseling
The therapy/counseling process helps people get “unstuck.” Through the development of insight and increased self-awareness, people can gain a better understanding of their own behavior and the issues, feelings and events that motivate them. The most useful benefit of therapy is often improved health and wellbeing. This often translates into reduced symptoms, increased self-confidence and a greater sense of vitality and peace of mind.
Why choose a psychologist?
A clinical psychologist is a doctoral level professional licensed by the State Board of Psychology to provide a variety of mental health services. In your search for a therapist, you will find a variety of mental health professionals to choose from, including Personal Coaches, Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), and Psychiatrists (MD). It may be important to familiarize yourself with the range of services provided by each. Some of the qualities that set psychologists apart from other mental health professionals include the following:
- A doctoral level education
- Four to five years of supervised pre- and post-doctoral training in clinical psychology
- Training and experience in psychological assessment
- Passing a national written examination
- Passing a state law and ethics examination
- Licensure and continuing education monitored by the State Board of Psychology
Psychologists have advanced specialized training in providing psychotherapy and conducting diagnostic assessments. A psychologist’s expertise lies in helping you understand, resolve or change various psychological problems like depression, anxiety, self-destructive patterns of behavior, and difficult or painful life experiences and transitions.
What kind of people go into therapy or counseling?
- people who value their mental and emotional well-being as much as their physical well-being
- people who want to get the most out of life
- people who are not prepared to settle for just existing
- people who appreciate the value of learning alternative approaches to problem solving
- people who are open to learning more about themselves and what makes them do the things they do
- people who recognize that from time to time, it is okay and beneficial to seek assistance in coping with
- issues that are too difficult to deal with on their own
- people who realize that being in therapy is NOT about being crazy;
- in fact, therapy is for those who are VERY sane
- people who are JUST LIKE YOU
What ages do you see?
I work with school-age children, adolescents and adults. I generally see children starting at age 9, and I specialize in treating childhood anxiety. If you have questions about your child participating in therapy, or to determine if I am the right therapist for him or her, please feel free to contact me.
