Adult Therapy
Sometimes people are reluctant or worried about beginning to see a therapist. There can be a number of different reasons for this, but some people may wonder whether therapy can be helpful, or feel unsure of how to find the right therapist. These questions, along with the common initial concern that it could be uncomfortable to speak with a new person about issues of important personal significance, can make the whole prospect seem daunting. If you feel this way I hope that some of my thoughts below will address your concerns a little, and give you a general sense of my take on the therapeutic process.
Why consider therapy?
There are many difficulties that people struggle with for which therapy can be helpful. Sometimes people simply want to feel better because they worry too much or feel down too often. Therapy can also be effective when one wishes to develop healthier relationships, make productive use of their abilities, sort out questions about their path in life, or break patterns of behavior that are counterproductive or destructive to self and others. My experience is that therapy can offer assistance with these issues and many others by helping a person gain new understandings about themselves, discover solutions to vexing problems, learn better coping skills, and to work through and integrate difficult experiences from the past that continue to feel troubling.
When to consider therapy?
If you find that your previous efforts to sort out your problems have not been effective, or that common sense strategies don't seem to provide you enough traction to move forward, or if the interest and support that others have offered has not been enough, then I think it makes sense to consider therapy. At times people also find that their previous ways of coping with problems or stress no longer seem to hold them, and yet they are unable to find alternate ways of managing.
What is psychotherapy?
In some ways psychotherapy can be thought of as an extended dialogue or conversation between a client and therapist with the purpose of helping the client to meet his or her goals, whatever those might be. The conversations that ensue over time are often different from the kinds of interactions, even the most well-meaning, that usually take place with family, friends, and other people. To begin with, the working arrangement that is set between a client and therapist is unique in that both parties have agreed that their collaboration will focus on helping the client achieve his or her goals, and to understand as fully as possible the client's experiences. I think it is also important to recognize that each client and therapist are unique individuals. This makes it very difficult to predict in a specific way what therapy will be like. However, one of the hallmarks of sound therapy is that both parties are able to look at, talk about, and adjust if necessary to maximize the benefits for the client.
How can talking help?
At times some people considering therapy wonder how talking can help, and may even believe that there is something self-indulgent about it - tantamount to complaining. Though it would be important to explore and talk about these ideas and feelings, (ironic as that may seem), it is also true that talking through issues provides greater opportunity to understand them more clearly. As most people would agree that there is much value is thinking through everyday problems, the same holds for issues related to our psychological, emotional, and interpersonal lives. One of my main objectives would be to help you reflect on, think about, and articulate the pieces of your experience that may not be immediately clear but are nonetheless influential in how you think, feel, relate, and act. Many people also find that working with a therapist who is non-judgmental and interested in understanding their inner experience helps them to approach their difficulties with a new kind of curiosity and compassion that leads to growth.
How to start?
I usually recommend two or three initial meetings to see how it feels to work together. We would generally start by discussing your concerns for which you are seeking therapy, and in these initial meetings I would encourage you to pay attention to how it felt to be meeting and talking together. I will offer you my thoughts about some of your concerns, and make a recommendation that we could discuss to see if it makes sense to you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gregory Villalba, LCSW
2354 Post Street, Suite F
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 794-1578
[email protected]
There are many difficulties that people struggle with for which therapy can be helpful. Sometimes people simply want to feel better because they worry too much or feel down too often. Therapy can also be effective when one wishes to develop healthier relationships, make productive use of their abilities, sort out questions about their path in life, or break patterns of behavior that are counterproductive or destructive to self and others. My experience is that therapy can offer assistance with these issues and many others by helping a person gain new understandings about themselves, discover solutions to vexing problems, learn better coping skills, and to work through and integrate difficult experiences from the past that continue to feel troubling.
When to consider therapy?
If you find that your previous efforts to sort out your problems have not been effective, or that common sense strategies don't seem to provide you enough traction to move forward, or if the interest and support that others have offered has not been enough, then I think it makes sense to consider therapy. At times people also find that their previous ways of coping with problems or stress no longer seem to hold them, and yet they are unable to find alternate ways of managing.
What is psychotherapy?
In some ways psychotherapy can be thought of as an extended dialogue or conversation between a client and therapist with the purpose of helping the client to meet his or her goals, whatever those might be. The conversations that ensue over time are often different from the kinds of interactions, even the most well-meaning, that usually take place with family, friends, and other people. To begin with, the working arrangement that is set between a client and therapist is unique in that both parties have agreed that their collaboration will focus on helping the client achieve his or her goals, and to understand as fully as possible the client's experiences. I think it is also important to recognize that each client and therapist are unique individuals. This makes it very difficult to predict in a specific way what therapy will be like. However, one of the hallmarks of sound therapy is that both parties are able to look at, talk about, and adjust if necessary to maximize the benefits for the client.
How can talking help?
At times some people considering therapy wonder how talking can help, and may even believe that there is something self-indulgent about it - tantamount to complaining. Though it would be important to explore and talk about these ideas and feelings, (ironic as that may seem), it is also true that talking through issues provides greater opportunity to understand them more clearly. As most people would agree that there is much value is thinking through everyday problems, the same holds for issues related to our psychological, emotional, and interpersonal lives. One of my main objectives would be to help you reflect on, think about, and articulate the pieces of your experience that may not be immediately clear but are nonetheless influential in how you think, feel, relate, and act. Many people also find that working with a therapist who is non-judgmental and interested in understanding their inner experience helps them to approach their difficulties with a new kind of curiosity and compassion that leads to growth.
How to start?
I usually recommend two or three initial meetings to see how it feels to work together. We would generally start by discussing your concerns for which you are seeking therapy, and in these initial meetings I would encourage you to pay attention to how it felt to be meeting and talking together. I will offer you my thoughts about some of your concerns, and make a recommendation that we could discuss to see if it makes sense to you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gregory Villalba, LCSW
2354 Post Street, Suite F
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 794-1578
[email protected]
