Individual, Group, and Couples Therapy
Individual Therapy
Many people seek therapy when they decide they want a change. Perhaps they want to feel better, find, improve, or end a relationship, feel more meaning in their career, or change dynamics in a family system. They may have tried everything on their own, without success, and feel ready to get help. Deciding you are ready to accept help is a huge first step and when you enter my office we will build on this momentum. We will first sit together and talk about your goals. I will suggest a treatment plan tailored to your needs which will lay out the “how” we will get from A to B. I place emphasis not just on the past but also on the present, offering warm yet direct feedback on what patterns might be getting in your way. I make suggestions for how you might do things differently to get different results. I integrate body-based interventions grounded in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy into my sessions. My primary goals are to create a relationship with you where you feel safe, and to challenge you to grow and thrive.
Group Therapy
Eventually, most of my individual clients continue on to group therapy. Group therapy is like the “practicum” or “lab” where you can apply what you learn in individual therapy and try out new ways of engaging with others in a less-risky environment than the outside world. In group you will build relationships with fellow travelers who will support you in your growth. Over time in group you will learn about yourself “in real time” through “here and now” relationships with other members. You will explore and speak to feelings and reactions you have to other group members. You will receive earnest feedback about what it is like to be in relationship with you. Depending on what your goals are, you will experience new things: You will learn to face difficult conversations and trust that you are safe even if others have reactions. You will learn to be more “authentic” and find your voice. You may learn to share space or to become more attuned to others. Or, you may learn to hold boundaries and reduce people-pleasing tendencies. Group tends to fast-track growth, helping you grow much faster than in individual alone. What you will learn in group can be directly applied to “outside” relationships. I have observed an epidemic of loneliness, isolation, and polarization in our world today, and group is an antidote to this pain.
Here are some resources to help you understand more about group therapy:
(Dramatized) YouTube series about Group Therapy: https://youtu.be/bzKmJoe_e2c
Tips on How to Make the Most of Your Group Therapy Experience: https://www.elizabethgomartlpc.com/new-blog/2020/1/31/make-the-most-of-your-group-therapy-experience-12-tips
Couples Therapy
I also offer couples therapy for couples of all genders and sexual orientations looking to deepen their connection or resolve issues in their relationship. Often couples can get “stuck” going round and round in the same arguments, and it can be helpful to have a professional to help you shed light on solutions. I use a variety of methodologies in couples therapy, first and foremost helping couples be more open to one another through understanding how each others’ individual issues get in the way of connection. Issues that may bring couples to therapy with me include issues such as: difficulty effectively communicating, challenges with sex and intimacy, volatility or conflict in the relationship, histories of trauma impacting current ways of relating, building trust after infidelity, navigating pregnancy or new parenthood, and navigating cross-cultural dynamics.