My Philosophy

  • We all can change for the better no matter how difficult our problems.
  • In our humanity, we all live with some kind of emotional vulnerability or wound within ourselves.
  • At some point or another, circumstances in our lives may so overwhelm our emotional vulnerabilities that we will find ourselves in serious emotional distress or pain that may not only affect us personally, but also important relationships.
  • The challenge we then face may feel difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.
  • However, although we may not feel it at the moment, we will always have within us some degree of personal freedom to make choices that will help us meet that challenge.
  • The healing or resolution for us will require changes in the way we think about ourselves and about the circumstances we face, as well as new behavior on our part and, possibly, on the part of those with whom we share the problem, such as family.
  • There will be situations in which we cannot meet the challenge alone, and may need the cooperation or assistance of someone else in our lives that may include family members, others who share a similar issue, as in a self-help group, and/or a helping professional.
  • The therapist offers insights and practical paths for overcoming the obstacles to the changes and solutions we seek.
  • The helping professional, a therapist or counselor, needs to be able to understand the challenge we face - the forces that underlie it and their roots.
  • The therapist needs to be able to make a connection with us that inspires a trust that allows us to open up about our pain, to be receptive to the help being offered, and disposed to making the efforts required to change.
  • It is the task of the therapist to help us see what we can do to make the difference, to translate insight into something practical and doable, and provide the support necessary to take that next change-effective step.
  • The partnership with the therapist will be the platform from which we can proceed to find our own answer to the challenge we face, an answer that will help today, as well as prepare us for future life challenges.