How Can Therapy Help Me?

No one escapes life’s struggles, disappointments and unwelcome changes. Each one of us experienced times when we feel stuck and without options.  You might find yourself asking if you should just accept difficult emotions as a natural part of human condition instead of looking to feel better through psychotherapy. The answer is “yes” and “no”. 

Struggles Therapy can help you see that you are not alone in your struggles.  

Talking about your problems helps you see how normal your reactions are while giving you hope that change is possible. 

You can take a step back and get a new perspective on your life.

We need to see and accept things as they are if we are to move towards healing, but we often stumble on this very first step. Clarity may feel out of reach as you avoid or try to escape distressing thoughts and emotions instead of dealing with them. Instead of letting go of what does not work, you may find that you keep repeating unhealthy or unproductive patterns. By working with a therapist, you can gently confront your thoughts and behaviour and evaluate the effectiveness of the various strategies you have been using to manage your situation.

Therapy can help identify ineffective patterns.

Doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is not realistic. And yet we’ve all been there. When we see our tendency to repeat certain behaviours and patterns of thinking, we can make the connection between these patterns and our unhappiness. By working with a therapist, you can learn to recognize unproductive patterns, which is an important step towards change.

You can break the old patterns and develop new skills.

You may already know the patterns of thinking, communication and behavior that create chaos and misery in your life. Therapy can help you find the knowledge, skills and support you need to change these patterns and replace them with new ways of being. Your therapist will listen to you with compassion and without judgment, accepting you and believing that you can make a change. 

Therapy can help you create a new narrative.

The stories we tell ourselves to make sense of who we are, our past and our relationships are powerful. They shape our understanding of our life and lay out the options available to us. For example, if we tell ourselves that our relationships will always end in heart break, we may be very cautious about welcoming new love into our lives. Working with a therapist can be useful in acquiring a story that helps you make sense of your past and open up paths for moving forward.

You realize that you can change your life.

You start seeing that change is possible and that you actually have the tools to accomplish your goals. Instead of feeling stuck, you realize that you have choices. You discover your strengths and resilience, which leads to new self-respect. Or, like some therapy clients, you may recognize that while you cannot eliminate your problems, you can see things differently and respond in a healthier, more productive way.

For more than 20 years I have been helping adults, teens, couples and families find pathways to more satisfying lives. I will listen to you with compassion and help you see possibilities for recovery and growth where you see none. Together, we can quickly but systematically discover and remove obstacles that are holding you back from living the life you were meant to live.