our approach to psychotherapy and counseling

We maintain an intense focus on what you are experiencing here and now, including your experience of your relationship with the therapist. At the same time, we'll , keep in mind the fact that what has happened in the past may well be relevant to what you are experiencing today. We're likely to explore relevant past experience, and how it might be keeping you from living the life you want.

We'll also pay special attention to what you are experiencing in your body. We're likely to work to become more aware of what's going on in your body, and to use your bodily experience to increase self awareness and to support change and improvement.

Our work is very experiential. We don't talk theory or provide answers. We do encourage clients to access the freedom that is available to them and try new choices and behaviors.

In our work together, we'll get clear about the realities - the real facts - of your situation. We'll work toward increasing freedom and the ability to make new choices, within the context of those realities.

While we recognize that specific diagnoses and the use of drugs may be helpful or even essential in some cases, we don't work from a "medical model" that presupposes that you might be "sick." We emphasize health, wholeness, and integrity rather than pathology.

In most of our work together, we'll focus on personal awareness and the possibility of new choices. As awareness improves, change and the improvement you're looking for are likely to follow.

The approach described above is based on a form of existential psychotherapy called Applied Existential Psychotherapy (AEP), developed by Dr. Betty Cannon. AEP is the foundation for our approach.

If you'd like to learn more, or to schedule an initial conversation, contact us.