Individual Therapy

Exploring Your Own Experience
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Individual psychotherapy offers the opportunity to explore problems related to specific life circumstances as well as broader issues having to do with the direction your life is taking. Generally speaking, there are five "windows" of experience--thoughts, emotions, sensations, intentions and actions. Increasing awareness of and access to each of these aspects improves one's ability to live a life characterized by integrity, genuineness and honesty.

What Happens in Individual Therapy

Once it is established that the potential for a good therapist-client relationship exists, individual therapy typically begins with an exploration of the circumstances that prompted the desire to talk. This involves developing a history of the issue, understanding the problem-solving techniques that have not proven effective, assessing personal and relational strengths and resources and identifying desires or intentions for the future. Often this process is sufficient to resolve whatever generated the desire for therapy.
Sometimes, both the client and therapist notice that the life issue that prompted therapy occurs between client and therapist. For example, if the client brings the problem of anger into therapy, he might begin to notice feelings of anger toward the therapist. This affords an opportunity to deal with the issue in a safe, here-and-now way. Addressing the issue in this way can be particularly effective in that it offers a chance to experience familiar difficulties very differently.
Finally, sometimes clients choose to use individual therapy as a tool for growth. In this case, the emphasis is less on problems that need resolution. Rather, the emphasis is on those things that prevent the kind of growth desired. This kind of therapy recognizes that life is already good but that the desire to make it better deserves some attention.

The Uniqueness of Individual Experience

Although there are a number of well respected ways of categorizing people by personality type, no two people are exactly alike and no one can be reduced to a brief description or diagnosis. Individual therapy always includes the recognition of uniqueness and an appreciation for how this affects life circumstances.

Problems Frequently Addressed

  • Anxiety
  • Depression--Chronic Sadness, Confusion, Anger
  • Problems with Decision-Making
  • Parenting Problems-Children or Aging Parents
  • Partner and Marital Problems​