The type of therapy I provide is often called psychodynamic psychotherapy or contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This type of therapy is a treatment for emotional distress or pain. It is a method of achieving understanding or knowledge about oneself in order to promote growth. It is also a path to creating and enriching intimate and loving relationships.

Although every piece of work with a client is different and designed to meet the client’s specific needs, there are four tasks of therapy that occur with almost every client with whom I work. First, it is very important to build trust in the therapeutic relationship so that the client can feel comfortable enough to discuss difficult or painful circumstances. The task of creating emotional safety and trust occurs throughout treatment but is most intensive in the beginning when the client and I are getting to know each other. Just as with all other relationships, trust develops when the client has consistent experiences of me as someone who is genuinely understanding, benevolent, hopeful, and committed to the client’s care.

The second task of therapy is to deeply understand the client’s life experiences. My approach to therapy is based on the understanding that people are a product of their genetics and life experiences. Therefore, it is very important to me to accurately understand the client’s present situation and any aspect of the client’s history that might influence the client’s life today. This in itself can be very healing for many clients, especially clients who have felt misunderstood by others.

A third task of therapy is to explore the meanings the client has made of the circumstances of the client’s life. Because we are each unique, our subjective experience of events can produce different meanings for different people. For example, going to a sad movie might be depressing for one person and enriching for another. Understanding how one makes meaning of events is a reparative aspect of therapy.

The fourth task of therapy is to examine patterns of relating to others. Since we are social creatures, being aware of how we relate to others can create the opportunity to enhance relationships. In therapy, one of the best ways to understand patterns of relating is to talk about how the client and I relate. Other times it is important to discuss how the client relates to important people in the client’s life. In either case, the goal is to learn more about the emotions and behaviors of relating in order to inform us about how to maximize love and intimacy in the client’s relationships.

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