Benefits of individual and/or couples therapy may include:
- Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
- Managing daily life
- Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Improving communication and listening skills
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
- Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
- Managing unresolved childhood issues
- Enhancing intimacy
Expectations
Each person has different issues and goals for therapy. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).
It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to apply what you learn in session in your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process – such as journaling, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals.
Therapy/medications for treatment
It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what’s best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.
Therapy with Jan Emerson
I believe the answer is within you and collaboratively we can uncover and optimize your full potential.
Rather than just surviving you can learn to thrive.
We will work together as a team to develop goals. Depending on your needs I may help you gain insight, weigh options, and cultivate motivation. From time to time we will assess progress and if necessary formulate new goals.
Sometimes change happens very quickly, but more often change is a slow and deliberate process that requires work in and out of session. As change occurs sometimes uncomfortable feelings may surface. This is a perfectly normal response until you adjust.
Our therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors in determining successful outcomes in therapy. This involves you feeling safe and trusting of me while you explore emotional vulnerabilities and painful thought processes.
I am down-to-earth, warm and supportive. I do not put my agenda on you or try to protect you from your own choices. I welcome any questions about me or the therapy process.
We often find ourselves facing challenges in life. While we may have successfully navigated through other difficulties, there’s nothing wrong with seeking support when needed. That can be healthy and admired. Accepting responsibility and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy may provide long-lasting benefits, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.
People have many different motivations for seeking therapy. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get through difficult times. In short, people seeking counseling are ready to meet the challenges and to make changes in their lives.
Over my twenty plus years of experience I have seen people change their lives through self-reflection and emotional healing. Call me, Jan Emerson, MS, LCPC, to schedule a counseling session at