1. Increased capacity to experience and manage multiple affective states and to enjoy a full range of emotion.
2. Increased access to multiple aspects of self without shame
3. Ability to comfort and soothe oneself and to be self-reflective
4. Ability to accept responsibility
5. Ability to tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity
6. Ability to be more truthful with oneself
7. Ability to think more creatively and openly about one’s past rather than continue to repeat it
8. Relief from internal constraints and rigidities that have become problematic.
9. A more and imaginative creative mind
10. Increased capacity to love and work: self efficacy
11. To engage in more meaningful and redemptive relationships
12. Hope.

There are many approaches to psychotherapy which have demonstrated success. Each therapist will usually have one primary theoretical basis to psychotherapy, while incorporating approaches from others. The relationship between the clients and the therapist has proven to be the singular best aspect of therapy that leads to success independently of the theoretical basis of the therapist.

Each therapist will find the theoretical base and approach(es) that fits them best Additionally, one approach may be best for one particular client. It is possible that the theoretical approach of a therapist is not as effective as another might be because clients are uniquely individual.

I tend to work with long-standing issues that have not reached resolution. These issues are often best addressed through psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approaches. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes and feelings that influence behavior and mood. This approach can be applied in conjunction with shorter term techniques. For more long-standing issues such as repeated unsatisfying relationships, repeated difficulties achieving goals, long histories of anxiety and depression, or perhaps a sense that one can not be oneself, a psychoanalytic basis may be preferable.

Psychoanalysis is a very particular approach to therapy that aims at changes in a person’s basic behavioral, thought, and emotional patterns by focusing on integrating unconscious, developmental and experiential aspects of oneself with the conscious self. This often leads to long-term, persistent change. Traditional psychoanalysis uses a program of several sessions per week. Because of several limitations (insurance restrictions, cost, and time) it is not practical to follow traditional analysis programs, therefore I follow an analytic approach to psychotherapy.

In particular, the basis for my approach to psychotherapy is Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy which follows the philosophy that psychological structure derives from one’s relationships with others. This is different than traditional psychoanalysis in which a person’s psyche is made up of innate drives and that the development of those is at the root of the psychic structure. To this end, a Relational therapist sees the therapy process as one of dynamic collaboration in which the interactions between the therapist and the client are part of the therapy.

Other therapeutic modalities certainly influence my approach to therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Learning Theory are important components of the work we do.

Additionally, I have discovered that the integration of Buddhist mindfulness philosophy can affect powerful changes. Mark Epstein has written several exceptional books on the topic of Buddhism and psychotherapy that have helped shape me as a therapist.