My Feelings About Medication
I do not believe that medication is always necessary, but it can be effective in certain situations when used in combination with therapy. I make it a priority to stay up-to-date on current medications, and I work directly with a psychiatrist, so that we are always in communication if a client is seeing us both. I believe that therapy is about more than medicating someone, but that medication can sometimes be necessary and can support a healing process.
Recent Influences and Training
I have been very influenced by the recent Positive Psychology movement, which moves away from an historic focus on illness and what’s not working, to focusing instead on the positive things in a person’s life as fertile ground for healing and self-forgiveness. From my own experience, I know that if I feel encouraged, I am more open to working through problems, and feel less overwhelmed – and I apply this same logic to the work I do with my clients.
As well as regularly engaging in seminars and more traditional psychology training, I also have my own personal daily therapy and writing practices, and am part of an all-female peer mentoring group. In addition, I teach and practice weekly yoga and Pilates classes, as I strongly believe that physical practices run in tandem with emotional practices. All of these regular practices influence my work as a therapist and allow me to draw from a rich palette of experience.