Life is full of ups and downs, difficulties and victories, joys and trials - they’re all part of the human experience that we all share. Along with the good stuff, most of us will experience significant challenges from time to time.
difficulties in relationships with other people
challenges and opportunities at work
Feeling stuck in our lives, wanting to do one thing and actually doing something else, not living the life we want
traumatic experiences that negatively impact the present
significant change, loss and grief
a feeling that something’s in your way, but you’re not sure exactly what it is
Along with these experiences may come depression, anxiety, or other unwelcome feelings and behaviors that might be addressed by dealing with underlying issues.
It can be very helpful to work with a compatible, attuned and trusted psychotherapist to become more fully aware of what’s going on, and to make changes that take you in a direction you want to go.
We’d be happy to talk with you about your concerns and goals, and to explore the possibility of working together to make real improvements in your individual and/or relational life. We look forward to hearing from you!
In the face of what the world brings …….. live your own life in authentic relationship with others.
What We Do
The situation we’re currently in is always a mixture of what the world brings to us and what we make of what the world brings to us.
We may not have much control over what comes our way, but if we choose to, we can make decisions as to how we will react and deal with the facts of our lives, and create the life we want. That is not always easy to do.
Every person is unique, with a unique history, fears, aspirations, and goals. We’ll always focus on your unique situation. The following are just some examples of the kinds of things we can work on together.
Sooner or later, difficult issues arise in most relationships. You may be able to address those issues on your own, or through access to learning resources like books, videos, websites, etc.
When you’re feeling stuck, it can be extremely helpful to bring a third party (the therapist) into the picture. An attentive, attuned, and experienced therapist can help you work through difficult issues, and assist you in creating the relationship you want.
Relationship counseling typically focuses on intimate partners, a couple (married or not), or some other important relationship (parent-adult child, relationships between adult siblings, deep friendships, relationships at work, etc). We’re quite comfortable working with heterosexual, gay or lesbian relationships. We’d be happy to talk with you about working together to get the relationship you want.
relationship, couples, and marriage counseling
challenges and opportunities at work
Life at work can potentially provide financial rewards, career advancement, the experience of achievement and satisfaction, rich relationships with others, and opportunities for self-expression, and personal growth. In the course of a career, we may experience periods when we’re not getting what we want out of our work life, and we’re not sure how to move forward.
This is equally true for team members, emerging leaders, seasoned leaders, and executives.
It can be helpful to have a secure and confidential place to go to reflect on the key difficulties at work, how you’re reacting to these, and how you might react in a way more consistent with your goals and desires.
From time to time, we may find it difficult to move forward in our lives. It may be hard to envision the meaningful future that we want to create for ourselves, so we can’t see a clear path forward. It may be that we want to do one thing, and yet we can’t seem to actually do it. At times it may feel like we’re not living the life that we want, the life that is ours. In short, sometimes we may be stuck.
It can be helpful to work with a therapist to:
understand what’s keeping you from allowing yourself to imagine a bright future and to move toward that future
understand the concrete, real world barriers that face you and may or may not be within your control, and the internal barriers that keep you from moving forward (and are within your control)
identify and understand the failed strategies that may have served you well at some point in your life, but are no longer helpful
develop new strategies that serve you better today and help you move forward toward the future you want.
feeling (and being) stuck
Certainly, there is beauty and love in the world. Equally certainly, there is suffering and horror. Bad things do happen. Sometimes they happen to us.
In certain situations, an overwhelming threat or negative event can overwhelm our capacity to process our experience and find a way to go forward and live the life we want to live. These events or threats might be recent or quite old.
In these situations, working with an attuned supportive therapist can be very helpful. Meeting with a therapist can provide a “relational home” in which bodily and emotional reactions to a negative event can be addressed and processed. In time, you can find a way to move forward freely and actively in the world, and create the meaningful life you want.
trauma
From time to time, the world has a way of throwing us a curveball. Loss of a loved one, or health, relationship, economic, employment, political, social, or other changes (even positive changes) that are beyond our control can throw us for a loop. We may have an expectation that things will carry on as they have in the past, only to see that we can’t count on that anymore.
Change can require us to find a way to accept a deeply felt loss, adjust to new realities, adapt to a changed environment, and come to grips with uncertainty.
In cases of significant change or loss, it can be very helpful to work with a therapist to find a new way forward that reflects new realities, and is meaningful and rewarding for you.
change, loss, and grief
It’s not possible to list here all of the reasons why someone might seek psychotherapy or counseling. The material above describes some of the more common issues that bring people to therapy. The possibilities are endless.
As you might imagine, It’s not uncommon for clients to bring a particular issue into therapy, and then discover that their concern stems from, or is related to, issues that they may not have been fully aware of.
The first step in therapy is to get clear about what the concerns that brought you in really are, and how they might be resolved. This (self) discovery process starts in the initial session, and is likely to continue as work progresses.
getting clear about what the issue really is
change, loss, and grief
If you’d like to explore the possibility of working together, or to get started now, contact us and let’s set up an initial conversation.
Who We Are
We provide a supportive, safe, non-judgmental, and sometimes playful space in which to explore and resolve issues. At the same time, we don’t shy away from challenging issues and situations. Our work is experiential. That means we tend to “do” rather than “talk about.” We can talk about theory, but it’s probably more useful to simply start working together to address issues and move toward the goals that you have identified.
We don’t assume that we have “the answer” for you. Our work together is likely to be creative - we’ll work together to better understand your unique situation and to support you as you create the future that you want.
Rosann Messere
As a married couple (41 years) with adult children and grandchildren, we are familiar with many of the joys and challenges that life can bring. We have similar theoretical orientations (Existential, Psychodynamic, Rogerian, Somatic) and similar but different styles of practice.
One of the most important predictors of success in psychotherapy is working with a therapist who you are comfortable with and trust. If you’d like to talk about working together, let us know and let’s schedule an initial conversation.