I offer individual psychotherapy to adults. If you are suffering from anxious feelings, or you find yourself at times feeling sad, hopeless, without energy, or just stuck, I provide a place to begin to explore and grow. Fear and pain can keep us from the fullness of life, while anger, resentment, loneliness, and jealousy can keep us from experiencing healthy relationships. I seek to create a space in which new meanings can emerge, and healing can take place.
We bring to our relationships within couples all our previous experiences in life and growing up. I seek to help the couple find fulfillment in the relationship through understanding and defining their own unique values. Underlying emotions can drive behaviors or unsuccessful patterns in relating, and with increased understanding, we can improve communication skills, and explore new ways of listening, interacting, and thriving together.
Counseling is variously defined, but generally refers to assistance in resolving specific personal or psychological problems or issues through problem solving, or the development of skills.
Psychotherapy’s aim is to develop understanding about our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, in order to develop more effective and satisfying ways of living and relating to others. The origin of the word means, “healing of the soul.”
While there may be more than one definition, counseling is generally understood to be focused on relieving or assisting with a particular symptom or situation, such as problem-solving or emotional support. The therapy is often relatively short-term, and may contain homework between sessions. Depending upon the training and education of the counselor or therapist, there might be more or less focus on insight development.
Psychotherapy is generally more long-term and addresses a broader range of issues. Underlying the various types of psychotherapy is the understanding that there are patterns of behavior and thinking that affect the way the person sees and interacts with the world. Psychotherapy’s general goal is to help people feel better equipped to manage stress and the circumstances of their lives.
Depth psychotherapy honors and addresses what is “below the surface,” or the unconscious aspects of the psyche or psychological makeup, and through the therapeutic relationship with the therapist, seeks to foster growth and lasting change through self-awareness and increased meaning.
Depth psychology grew out of psychoanalytic approaches and the theories of Freud, Jung, Janet, Bleuler and many others. Modern depth psychotherapy focuses on allowing what is unconscious to become conscious, leading to a greater sense of wholeness, contentment, and meaning in life, and a confidence in facing life’s challenges.
My approach to therapy is psychodynamic and depth-oriented, that is, based in the relationship that we build together. Research shows that the most important factor in a successful outcome in therapy is the relationship with the therapist. Together we address current life experiences and explore them in light of early influences on our present life patterns, with a sensitivity to how the unconscious may be influencing our thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Through this process, greater self-awareness, satisfaction and effectiveness in life, can become available.
Understanding our emotions helps us understand the core of who we are. Because each person is an individual with their own needs, and each situation unique, this approach allows our work together to include a range of contemporary methods to meet those needs. I seek to cultivate developing together a deep understanding of how you encounter relationships and life’s experiences, as we move closer to helping you become, as J. Campbell described it, “who you truly are.”
Regarding Couples Therapy
We cannot change each other, but we can influence each other. Sometimes there can be a significant disruption in our relationship, or we may have become stuck and not know how to move forward. Sometimes we may even be aware of what can make it better! Doing so is difficult, and our work may center around sorting through expectations and assumptions about each other that are contributing to unsuccessful patterns of relating.
You may set a time for a short introductory phone conversation before we meet in person. We will together decide if we should proceed to meeting.
After introductions, and a brief description of therapy, we will begin to talk about what brings you to therapy at this time. Sometimes we know exactly what we need or would like out of therapy. Other times, we may just feel “stuck,” or “off.” At the end of our session, together we will decide about working together, and whether to set up the next session.
Each weekly session is 50-60 minutes. I appreciate the courage it takes to enter therapy, and invite you to bring simply yourself. Let us explore your concerns. I tend to work in the “here and now,” and while we may find that memories, even painful ones, emerge for us to explore, what is going on in life right now, including what is happening in the room between you and me, is generally the focus of our work.
Over time, new insights and understandings emerge, along with the development of new skills, The duration of therapy is highly individual and depends upon the issues involved and your particular needs as an individual or couple.
My fee is commensurate with the community standard. I accept payment from Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross, and Blue Shield.
Copyright Dr. Robin Beresford PhD, LMFT, PA 2023
