Home
Areas of Specialization
Forms
Directions
About Me
Frequently Asked Questions
Links and Resources
Why do people engage in therapy?
There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Some people decide to start therapy to help them deal with long-standing psychological issues, such as problems with anxiety or depression and/or problems in their relationships. Others seek therapy to help manage unexpected changes or transitions in their lives, like divorce or the loss of a loved one.
Many people come to therapy because therapists can provide a new perspective on a challenging situation or assist the client in finding solutions to problems.
While sharing concerns with family and/or friends can be helpful, often an outside, neutral party, like a therapist, can be more objective in providing support and direction.
What can therapy do for me?
- Increase your understanding of yourself and about the problems that brought you to therapy
- Improve your relationship with others
- Teach you new ways to cope with negative emotions (i.e., anger, anxiety, depression)
- Help you replace unhealthy/destructive behaviors with healthy/constructive ones
- Improve your self-esteem and self-confidence
What is therapy like?
Each therapy session lasts approximately 45 minutes. Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue and lasting just a few sessions, or longer-term, addressing more complex issues. For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. At times, you may be asked to think about or to try new behaviors between sessions.
Medication or Therapy?
Studies have shown that medication alone does not typically provide long-term relief from psychological or emotional problems. Often, a combination of medication and therapy can provide the greatest benefit. However, not everyone needs to be on medication for psychological issues, and your medical doctor can help you decide if medication may be right for you. While medication can treat the symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems, therapy addresses the cause of such problems and the behavior patterns that perpetuate these problems.
