Individual Therapy
“Is this all there is to life?”
That’s the question I so often hear. The answer is, “Hell no!”
There is SO much more waiting for you than doubting and disliking yourself; making choices for all the wrong reasons; staying in a relationship that isn’t working; feeling anxious; feeling lonely; feeling depressed; not understanding how to properly communicate; struggling to get through all the various changes and stages in your life.
While everyone’s struggle is unique, the tie that binds us is the desire for happiness, fulfillment, and contentment.
I’ll meet you where you are, and we’ll work together to find the special ways that work for you, in order to get that richer, fuller life.
When we meet, my priority is to help you feel heard, accepted, and welcomed.
We’ll discuss what brought you in and what goals you want to accomplish. This will help me design a treatment plan to get you there.
Moving forward, we’ll look at your old thoughts, feelings and actions that created roadblocks and unhappiness.
We’ll design new, accurate stories that lead you to success.
In this process of retraining your brain, I’ll ask you to think about things in new ways and practice new behaviors both inside and outside of session (no way around homework, folks! 😉 )
Little by little, your thoughts and feelings will stop battling one another. Generally, they don’t play nicely, but through our work, they will get aligned.
For an example of how I help, I’ve included a letter from one of my former clients (shared with permission and name changed to preserve confidentiality).
A skeptic convinced…
Hi Allison,
I only came to see you because a friend of mine had seen you and said such good things but, honestly, I was in such a bad place and just assumed that she’d say anything to get me to stop complaining to her.
I told you I was skeptical about therapy when we talked on the phone but I don’t think I ever told you about the two therapists I saw before you. One introduced herself to me at our SECOND session. I told her that I had a session with her the week before and she bumbled through some lame excuse and told me that she definitely remembered me… riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. The other one remembered me so I stuck it out for a couple of months. It was a total waste. He was dry, gave me weird looks when I told him some personal stuff about me, and never really told me what I could do to stop feeling so crappy.
After two more years of feeling lost, I sucked it up and called you but only because I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to like you because I didn’t want to go to therapy and have another bad experience, but I told myself that if I went for one session and it sucked like I thought it would, at least I tried and wouldn’t have to go back. Damn it, Allison, you made me like you.
I probably wasn’t the easiest client at the beginning but you really changed my life. I still have my bad days but I think back on our sessions to remember how to pull myself out of the slumps I get into. You never gave me those weird looks. You helped me like myself and figure out what I needed to do to get happy. Btw – I told my husband that I was going to write to you today and he told me to say, “Thank you for making her much more pleasant to be around.” (Ummm… wtf? Haha)
Anyway, I’m probably rambling like hell. I just wanted to reach out to say that I think back on our sessions a lot and smile. I’m really grateful for all the help. I wouldn’t be living such a good life right now if it wasn’t for all the ways you helped build me up and calm me down. I’m so much more comfortable being who I am now. Speaking of that, remember when I told you that I felt like a dog with pink hair in a room full of cats? Check out this picture I found. I had to send it to you…
Thanks again.
Piper
Learn how to live your days fully, so your nights aren’t bound in regret.
I’m here to help you do just that. Call me and let’s get started! (818) 971-7155