PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH PAT
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, commonly referred to as talk therapy, is a process designed to help you identify new ways of thinking and behaving to remove barriers that prevent you from being your best version of you. The process can help you overcome problems in desired ways, improve your well-being, enhance relationships and resolve or mitigate self-defeating behaviors, beliefs or emotions. This is accomplished through our developing a trusting relationship where we can explore issues interfering with your inner peace and intimate relationships.
My Philosophy of Therapy in Metaphor
We begin our journey before we are even born. In those first few years on our path we learn what love and affection look, sound and feel like. We also learn what anger and rejection look, sound and feel like. From these early travels we begin to carry stones with us and we sometimes gather pebbles in our shoes that make the travel uncomfortable. Some stones turn into large rocks. They can become very heavy to carry and the pebbles become unbearable underfoot.. Sometimes we will even encounter a boulder and we can’t see how to move forward on our path.
When travel on the path becomes intolerable we need someone to help us. Together we can put down the rocks and stones and remove the pebbles. We can turn some of them into smaller pieces and determine where they came from and what you want to do with them Some will be of high value, some will just be interesting, beautiful stones but some you will want to () on until they become dust of the past. The gemstones we will polish away the rough edges, bring out its beauty and allow its blemishes to enhance its natural beauty.
Ultimately, you will envision what you can do with all the stones and gems that you have begun to treasure. You can build a beautiful sculpture that reflects you in its uniqueness. That which seemed impossible when we began now becomes a sculpture along our path that we can re-stack, burnish, and visit any time. You can continue on your path unencumbered and carry with you the knowledge and tools to break up, polish and sculpt whatever other barriers breach your road in the future.
become the gem you are
What makes therapy with me unique?
The metaphor of the path and what encounter on it is one I use often in session. I consider therapy to be as important a relationship as any you will ever have. You are inviting me to join you on your path and I am agreeing to go there with you. I will accompany you for as long as our work remains helpful to you. I will use my experience, expertise and emotional availability to help you discern the path and remove what is preventing you from moving forward. I approach the work with the knowledge that you already have many gifts and skills for traversing this path. You might not think you do but together we will unearth them. We’ll look at the path behind you as it will help us pass the path ahead more easily. I’ll provide you with tools, map reading skills and maybe survival skills if you need them, to help make the unseen path ahead (not scary). When you feel equipped to go on without my help, our paths will diverge.
My masters degree in clinical social work, professional experience and personal experience come together to help light the path.
Working with Parents of Children with Special Needs
As the proud parent of a young man with special needs, I am passionate about supporting this under-served population.
From first diagnosis to launching your child into adulthood, having an exceptional child brings unique challenges and complex, ambivalent feelings. Often parents struggle with unimaginable levels of stress, loneliness, grief, guilt and fear. It is a perpetual host of issues that requires ongoing, complex life management for you and your child.
There are some resources for your child and you’ll always put your child first. But what about resources for you? What do you do when you run out of steam…when you just don’t know how to take much more. I can help you manage your feelings, assuage some of the fear and find the sweet spots of raising your child that sometimes elude you.
Reducing the effect of these challenging feelings is critical for both parent and child. When you feel better your child gets more of the attention, love and support they need to enhance the special life they’ve been given.
If you have a child with special needs and are feeling overwhelmed, reach out and connect with me. I know firsthand the emotions you’re struggling with and can help you diminish their effect on you so you can be the parent you want to be, therefore helping your child be the best version of themselves that they can be!
Clinical dx vs common understanding
- Trauma/PTSD
- Childhood wounds
- verbal/emotional abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Anxiety
- General Anxiety
- Social Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- OCD
- Depression
- Chronic or situational
- Mild or Major
- Bi-polar I & II
- self-harm
- Relationship Issues
- Child
- Parent
- Partner
- Workplace
- Parenting Children with Special Needs
- Support
- Stress management strategies
- Possible interventions
- School relationship support
- Addiction/Impulse Control Disorders
- Substance abuse
- Process addictions
- Personality Disorders
- Borderline
- Narcissistic
- Stress/Adjustment Disorders