Individual Therapy

Feel good and right as you find the ways you limit your life.

As individuals, we have parts of ourselves that have been encouraged to develop growing up. For each part, there is an opposite, typically underdeveloped, hidden or denied part. When we get tired of our primary part being completely in charge, we often “pop” into the opposite side acting in ways that are surprising. Sometimes those unexpected behaviors cause pain and confusion for us and the people around us. e.g. If you have a big pleaser part — you are accommodating and thoughtful of others, that is good as long as you also have the capacity to set limits when you need them. The work is about having more choices as to how you will respond to life’s opportunities and challenges. Let’s talk.

We all experience stress and anxiety. A certain amount is good because it activates us to do things that might be hard. When, though, anxiety interferes with your ability to live the life you want, it is time for help. Be sure, first, you are getting enough sleep, eating reasonably, doing some exercise if you can, and having a break in the demands of your day. Anxiety can come from good changes — a new, great job; a wedding or commitment event; a happy move; or from hard things — a divorce, a relationship breakup, death, health problems and more. There are clear ways to manage, reduce and refocus your automatic response to life’s experiences. Some times medication can help. Let’s talk.

Regarding depression. When you feel blue and the feeling hangs on, life can become increasingly difficult for you and those people around you, at home and at work. The first place to consider is if your sleep, eating, exercise and recreation are reasonable.  Next, social support may be added into the mix of your life.  It might also be helpful to see if there is anything going on medically that needs attention. If you still feel bad, the combination of psychotherapy — cognitive behavior therapy or other approaches and, possibly but not always, medications — can be helpful. Let’s talk and begin with an assessment of your level of upset, irritability, anger or however you are experiencing depression. Let’s talk.

As to eating disorders. The health at every size (HAES) approach is looking at what works over time. Eating consciously, moving for fun and pleasure, getting excellent medical care and surrounding yourself with people who cherish you is the focus for a healthy life. What matters is living a full and bountiful life, now, and making the modest changes that can last over a lifetime. I wrote the award winning, celebratory book on the subject, Bountiful Women. See BountifulWomen.com for loads of details. Let’s talk.

While grief and loss are natural parts of life, when it is your turn to face it, life can be hard. All sorts of feelings are normal. Those feelings usually do not come in a prescribed sequence but come when they come and often come, again. There are specific behaviors and thoughts that can help any one of us move through the grieving process in a way that is both honoring of the loss and helpful to what is required in your present life. Discovering your specific path and how to take from the experience what will serve you best is something we can talk about to create a plan. Let’s talk.