Theoretical Orientation Approach to Therapy

he theoretical orientation of my practice is relational psychodynamic. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an outgrowth of Psychoanalysis, which was invented by Sigmund Freud over 100 years ago. Psychoanalysis is best understood as a method. Thus, psychodynamic therapy is a method I use to understand my patients. This method focuses on trying to understand the layers of the human personality, such as how a person thinks and feels unconsciously as well as consciously. The underlying theory is that our difficulties, or symptoms, have roots in a dimension of our mind that is out of our conscious awareness. Psychodynamic therapists help make the unknown known. We do this with some of the tools of psychoanalysis, such as exploring dreams, childhood memories, relationships with parents and significant others. Childhood and family of origin is important because there we learned certain coping strategies and childhood coping strategies do not work well in the adult world.

elational Psychoanalysis is a perspective that began to emerge in the 1980’s. It grew out of many clinicians’ frustrations with the somewhat restrictive nature of Traditional Psychoanalysis, its machine-like view of human nature, and its inability to match up with contemporary scientific viewpoints. The main conviction of the relational perspective is that human beings are fundamentally relational creatures. As we grow up we internalize our key relationships. These internalizations serve as blueprint or even a guide to how we approach life. When key relationships go wrong we develop internal maps that take us down hurtful paths. In order to get back on track we need a healing kind of relationship. Relational therapists are experts in developing the kind of relationship a person needs to bring healing and growth to their lives.

also employ the principles of Schema Therapy when appropriate. Schema Therapy is one of the most exciting models of therapy to come along in the past fifty years. It is a great fit with Relational Psychoanalysis. It began in the late 1980’s by a psychologist named Jeffery Young. At that time he was practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is based on the belief that emotions are caused by thoughts and can be controlled by proper thinking. It has helped many people yet there are many people who cannot be helped by this perspective because their issues go much deeper into their character than conscious thoughts can access. Young began to recognize this and came up with an integrative approach that he named Schema Therapy.

schema is a mental and emotional frame of mind that originates in childhood and serves to guide beliefs, choices and behaviors. There are healthy schemas and pathological schemas. Schema therapy is a form of therapy that attempts to heal the pathological schemas. I discovered this approach to therapy when I was doing my doctoral paper, The Development of Cognitive Schemata in Children (Birth to 12 Years Old) of Depressed Parents: A Review of the Literature, and needed a developmental theory with which to integrate my research.

Areas of Expertise

• Adult Therapy

  Adults seek my help for a variety of reasons, most of which can be classified as internal struggles, external struggles, or a combination of the two. Internal struggles, such as guilt, low self-esteem, general unhappiness, a feeling of emptiness, or a sense that life is just not right, are usually experienced on the inside. External struggles are more definable: conflict with a spouse, friend or child, difficulty advancing in a career, feeling stuck in a dead relationship, loss of a loved one through death, divorce, or relocation. Often, internal struggles will manifest themselves outwardly. This is frequently the case with depression, excessive worry, mood swings, and addictions. Research shows that psychotherapy can be very helpful for people with internal and external struggles.

• Child Therapy

  Child therapy is appropriate for many different issues including ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, impulse control problems, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems and family difficulties. I have been doing child therapy for well over 10 years now and I truly love it. I find it very helpful and rewarding. I actually wish that I had been in child therapy as a kid. I believe it is an opportunity to plant seeds and make changes that can bear fruit throughout the child’s life.

  There are many different approaches to child therapy. My approach is relationally based where I do a mix of play therapy and talking therapy depending on the child’s age. I also like to include the parents in the loop and help them make changes as well. I provide a non-judgmental, non-shaming atmosphere. Typically, we will have a time of play that serves as an experiential base and a time of talking to help them verbalize their feelings. The play-time is not playtime. It is real play, but it has a purpose, which is so that they let me know me what is going on in their mind and heart. Then I help them put words to their conflicts and difficulties. This helps them feel understood and also to be able to better regulate their moods and behavior.

• Adolescent Therapy

  Like child therapy, adolescent therapy is helpful for issues such as depression, anxiety, acting out, addictions, drug abuse, self-esteem problems as well as family conflict and problems. Over the years, I have adjusted my approach to adolescent treatment more so than any other type of therapy. I used to take the approach that teenagers needed their own therapy in order to develop their own mind and if family therapy were needed, I would refer parents to another therapist and then consult with that therapist. This model is still valid and many therapists practice this way, but I found it to be ineffective for most families. Thus I began to integrate the family into the treatment of the adolescent and now will make every few sessions a family session. I believe this works because teenagers want to have some connection with their parents and this method usually facilitates that bond.

• Couples Therapy

  Couples therapy is for any two people who are in any kind of a close relationship. Typically, the couples I see are either dating, engaged, or married. Usually there is some kind of problem they are having difficulty with, such as, money, sex, in-laws, communication, fighting, infidelity, control, and personality differences and so on. These problems are often rooted in personality problems. Neurobiologists are finding that personality difficulties have their origins in our brains. Couples therapists are finding that effective couples’ therapy can have a positive effect on ones brain. Psychiatrist Roy Resinkoff says, “Changes in personality traits can potentially change the corresponding brain structure and circuits in both members of a couple.” Therapy for couples, then, is a process not just of hearing the other and communicating better, it also a process of listening to oneself and growing as an individual and becoming a healing agent in your partner’s life.

• Family Therapy

  The purpose of family therapy is to help family members improve the way they relate to one another. Chronic family chaos can create and/or exacerbate problems such as anger, depression, teenage acting out, ADHD in children, chronic health problems, grief and more. Healthy family relationships create an atmosphere of honesty and acceptance, which gives all members the best opportunity to thrive. I find it to be an effective adjunct therapy with children and adolescents, but it can be effective for many other difficulties as well. It is usually a short–term treatment.