Psychotherapy might be understood as a way of clearing some mental space – a space of potential – when one has become too depressed, panicked, anxious, overwhelmed or confused to make sense of things. Once this space is established, then the work of therapy opens up new thoughts, meanings, and emotions. What unfolds over time is relief from pain.

Psychotherapy is a process guided by someone with extensive training in psychological pain, its roots and manifestations, and the delicate and intuitive path one must walk to relieve it. It is a discussion which enables access to the far recesses of the mind. This access is necessary if one is to discover aspects of oneself that have been lost to unconscious conflict and/or trauma.

Psychotherapy is a meeting of the minds between two people; when life is difficult, it is no longer possible to go it alone. Instead, it takes two people to understand and help one. Together, we ask, “What are the stories we tell about ourselves to ourselves?” And in answering this question, we often find that some of these stories need revision. When we don’t understand something painful about ourselves, we tend to repeat our life’s difficulties over and over again, trying to gain some sense of control. But that’s when we fall into seemingly inescapable ruts. Therapy intervenes in these repetitions so that people can change, can feel better, and can live better.

Many people ask if a person can really be helped simply by talking about their problems? The short answer to this question is “yes.” Psychological researchers have proven, over and over again, the profound efficacy of “talk therapy.” Deeply transformative things happen in treatment if one brings one’s curiosity and energy into the process and into the relationship with the therapist.