INDIVIDUAL
PSYCHOTHERPY



why psychotherapy





“Destiny is not a matter of chance it is a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” ~~William Jennings Bryan



You may have contemplated on the idea of therapy for awhile. You may be faced with a life transition, significant loss, or life altering change. Sometimes it is the past that starts to bubble up, or you are faced with a difficult decision or dilemma.


Psychotherapy helps you to become more aware of your beliefs, and explore if those beliefs still serve you or are getting in your way. Beliefs formed years ago or through prior experiences have affected your decisions in the past, will affect your decisions right now, and will affect your decisions in your future.


An integrated approach in psychotherapy allows more flexibility and creativity to help you gain insight into who you are, understand why you feel the way you do, and give you clarity so you can lead a more authentic life,


An effective blend of Insight-Oriented Therapy, Attachment Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness practice gives you the means and the tools to get you through life changes and transitions, allevate depression and anxiety, process past trauma, and learn your life lessons.



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PERSONAL GROWTH
DEPRESSION & ANXIETY
LIFE CHANGE/TRANSITION
LOSS & GRIEF
TRAUMA
SEXUAL HEALTH

you are the creator of your life.



Step back a moment. Look around you. What are you seeing? What are you thinking? What are you hearing? What are you tasting? What are you feeling? What your you doing?


This is your experience.


It is your life--moment to moment. Seen only by you. heard only by you. Felt only by you.


Each moment is like the tick of a clock.

A past and a present and a future.


Everyone around you is having their own experience, it is their moment. It is only theirs. You may interact with them but you both are still having your own experience.


You are the creator of your experience.


Only you have the power to change what you are seeing, hearing, tasting, thinking, feeling, doing.


Are you happy with your experience?


Are you happy with your life?



Growth is painful. Change is painful.
But, nothing is as painful as staying
stuck where you do not belong.
~~ N. R. Narayana Murthy



personal growth




Personal growth starts with wanting something in your life. But to get there requires risk, and sometimes even courage. There have been obstacles in your way that has stunted your growth.

You may feel stagnant. Uncomfortable. Stuck. Only you can do something about that.


But first you need to be able to be aware, be more conscious, gain more insight.


Psychotherapy can help with that.




authentic living



Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up~~Picasso .





Many times depression and anxiety come from not living your life authentically. It is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. You try to fit in but no matter how hard you try it never feels exactly right. You seem stuck. The effort can be exhausting, draining all your energy. It can be emotionally painful. Depression sets in.


Just the thought of looking for a 'square hole', somewhere, doing something, that better fits who you are, is scary. It can mean going against what others expect of you or believe is the "right way", the "only way". Anxiety can set in.


Being authentic means being your true self. This is hard given all the messages we receive starting at birth.


We start to live our lives as others want us to live, not only from early childhood messages at home, but also from your experiences and teachings in school, in religion, on the play ground, the cultural and societal norms, gender norms. Messages you have received through direct teaching, from observations, from reinforcement, from movies, billboards, music, social media, and it goes on and on. . . .


Psychotherapy can help support you as you connect to your true self, understand yourself better, explore options, work through dilemmas, and make challenging, yet more authentic, life decisions.



The darkness, the loop of
negative thoughts on repeat, clamours and
interferes with the music I hear in my head
.~Lady Gaga



DEPRESSION & ANXIETY



Depression and anxiety are medical conditions that affect the brain causing physiological shifts in your body which cause the symptoms. When these affects are severe and interfere with your ability to function, it becomes medically necessary to receive treatment.


The symptoms of depression and anxiety can be alleviated with several approaches and evidence-based interventions.


Some of these are psychotherapy, counseling, and medication. Or a combination. Both depression and anxiety produce negative thoughts about yourself, others, and your life. You listen to those thoughts, those beliefs, and they can take over. You could feel disconnected from others--very much alone.


Sometimes these disorders are solely the result of inherent illness, with genetic influence. Treatment objectives are often about management if the symptoms are chronic. .



Some times you have to lose yourself to discover who you might yet be.

Sometimes what feels like breaking down is really just breaking free.



LOSS, GRIEF, LIFE TRANSITIONS



No one can get through life without the experience of loss, grief, and life transitions. These are normal occurrences, many of which are expected. Often in one ‘big’ loss, such as the death of a loved one, there are many other losses.


When we lose someone or something, we go through a process called “grieving”. Grief can be experienced as emotional turmoil, with intense, sometimes conflicting, feelings that feel out of control.


Therapy is helpful when the loss results in a notable change in your life. These changes may be positive, and possibly stem from a decision you made. Even so, grief and grieving are real.


Therapy is highly recommended if the loss came very unexpectedly or is the outcome of a traumatic event.





Lynne a santiago, phd, lmhc



copyright 2019