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I’ve been a practicing therapist long enough to know that one style doesn’t fit everyone, and that what fits
today, may not fit next week. While my style molds to people’s needs, my theoretical base is consistent, having evolved over the past
three and a half decades. In the late 1960s, I was trained psychodynamically yet, I was drawn to the newly developing field of family
therapy, and then have absorbed many aspects of the newer modalities, such as gestalt, cognitive, and behavioral therapies.
Family Therapy
My definition of family is whatever people choose to identify for themselves. I see traditional families,
as well as the many alternative families, such as stepfamilies, families, gay and lesbian families, families dealing with
multi-racial or mixed religion marriages.
As a family therapist, I "see" the whole family – even if only one person sits in my office. I think
multi-generationally, recognizing people often carry within them unresolved issues passed down through the generations. Thus,
grandparents, aunts, and uncles may be invited to join the session. Sessions may also include subsets in a family, such as siblings
or males, or friends and co-workers. Family therapy, then, is a lens for understanding how problems develop as well as get resolved
in context of all the "families" in people’s lives.
The goal of therapy – for individuals, couples, or families – is to combine an understanding of the basis
for the problem with specific behavioral change. To that end, sessions often end with "homework" assignments.
Here are some of the types of therapy I offer:
- Families and couples
- Gender issue, changing roles, and mid-life issues
- Couples where the man has a high powered position
- Women's friendships
- Single women
- Adult siblings
- Attention Deficit Disorder (for adults and children)
- Child & adolescent
- Group therapy for men, women, children
Group Therapy
At various times, I offer therapy for small groups of women, men, and children focused around a particular theme. Group therapy
may address issues like:
- depression
- mid-life reassessment
- men and relationships
- multi-family groups (involving more than 1 family dealing with a similar issue)
These groups may meet weekly, or they may meet for a one or two day intensive to address issues.
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