You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
Considering therapy? Here are some common reasons clients begin this process.
Relationships are complicated.
Whether it’s a spouse, friend, partner, parent, or sibling, how you respond to the differences between you is the most important thing. Therapy can help you build “learning conversations” that clarify perspectives, identify unhelpful communication patterns, and nourish relationships.
Transitions can be challenging.
A new job, a move, a change in health, a loss… everything changes, whether we like it or not. Counseling can help you to keep your balance throughout.
Parenting requires extra support.
The stakes are high. You want to get it right. But what you’re doing doesn’t seem to be working. You feel irritable and impatient more often than you’d like. Use your sessions to understand what’s going on, to learn a new approach, and to reboot your energy for this important work.
Stress feels constant.
You can’t avoid stress. It’s part of every day life. Sometimes it even motivates us to make constructive changes. You may want to learn new ways of understanding and managing anxiety and tension. We can’t stop it from showing up, but we can manage how long it stays: through mindfulness practice, cognitive behavioral changes, and living a more compassionate life.
Goals seem out of reach.
A step at a time! A clinician can help you to shape your intentions, create a timeline, harness your strengths and resources, and work with whatever is standing in your way. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You know what you have to do; it’s just a matter of implementation.
…and finally, it’s just nice to have someone on your team.
The therapy room can simply be a place where you come to rest, to sort through your thoughts and feelings, and to speak to a really good listener who cares about what’s happening in your life.