Psychotherapy
“Psychotherapy is more than mere technique in that it is art, and it goes beyond pure science in that it is wisdom.” –Viktor E. Frankl, MD, PhD
As a psychiatrist, I am trained and able to offer many different treatment modalities to those under my care. I have designed my practice to offer all patients the opportunity to engage in different psychotherapies, depending on what you are struggling with or would like to work on. For many mental health problems (especially those causing more severe impairment), a combination of psychotherapy and medication can offer the most benefit.
Psychotherapy is not merely listening and giving advice. It involves working on and through difficult or even unacknowledged issues or problems one is facing. It requires commitment and effort both in and between sessions and a realization that you may feel worse before you start to feel better, as you start tackle serious thoughts, behaviors, and patterns. This is because when a person tries to make positive changes in their life—and when we are used to thinking, doing, or believing certain things for a long period of time—it is not easy to give that up.
Some benefits of psychotherapy include:
- Improving problem-solving
- Building confidence
- Enhancing coping skills
- Recognizing life-long patterns of behavior and how to improve those behaviors
- Understanding interpersonal difficulties
- Increasing success at beating an addiction
- Controlling how you feel and think about yourself
- Reducing the impact of distressing symptoms on your life
Psychotherapy sessions are usually about 50 minutes in length, and often scheduled at weekly intervals during initial stages of treatment. If we agree that medication would also be helpful, monitoring of your response to medication will be integrated into your psychotherapy visits.