Individual Therapy

Here’s the thing about pretending…

We aren’t really fooling ourselves when we do it.

But often, the fear of being honest and then having to do something about that truth keeps us gripping the fantasy.

That fantasy of being able to drink or use and control it this time. “When it slows down, I won’t need to use as much. It will be easier to slow down or maybe even stop if I really think I need to.”

We pretend about others, too.

“Even though she keeps getting high, she says she is really trying.”

“If I stay close and stay on him, he might really stay sober this time.”

Many times, the bravest thing we do on any given day is tell ourselves the truth. In individual therapy, that scary truth gets to see a bit of daylight. Speaking truth out loud and to a safe person, shines a light on the fear.

What do you have to pretend you DON’T KNOW in order to keep doing what you are doing?

Surviving isn’t living.

We are so accustomed to surviving that sometimes it’s hard to imagine what a fulfilling life could be.

A worthwhile life happens on the other side of fear. Fear is a liar. It keeps us stuck and settling for less, because risk seems unwise as our fear tells us what we might lose.

But often, we have already sacrificed the life we were born to live by gripping fear so closely that we don’t welcome the very relationships that can offer healing.

Sometimes courage begins when we borrow hope from another.

“When the heart is full of all it has settled for, there is no room for what it desires.” –Kathryn Benson

What have you desired that you can’t quite reach?

What have you settled for that you don’t really want?

And how much longer are you willing to allow your fear to keep you small?

I understand that no one wants to be in pain.

If a person has found an effective way to manage and/or stop pain, (s)he will. And if the pain is deep and old, overwhelming and endless, then that person will go to any lengths necessary to stop it… even if only for a moment.

I don’t wonder why you or your loved one uses substances. I wonder about the source and magnitude of the pain.

Together, we build on what you know and already attempted efforts to effectively treat your pain. Through a variety of creative approaches, we examine, identify, and intervene on the pain and on past ineffective coping strategies so that you will gain new insights and create a life in which you are fully present.

This moment can be the beginning of a life you didn’t dare to dream…

Take a step toward the life you want. Call or message me today: (615) 308-9385