The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.
~Ernest Hemingway
When something terrible happens, it’s hard to just get over it and get back on track. Maybe a relationship has ended, a school or job change, or a health crisis. Perhaps there was an automobile or other accident, an incident of violence, or the death of a loved one.
Traumas and losses create not only a current state of instability; they can also reawaken earlier dormant experiences of being stressed, overwhelmed, and unable to cope. Our usual means of managing feelings become inadequate. We may find ourselves anxious or panicky. We may have trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, or poor concentration. We may feel lost, confused, possibly even hopeless.
In this situation, our first task is to get grounded again and to establish new coping skills. I will help you navigate through the instinctual "survival mode" which kicks in in times of crisis. Together we will gather your inner and outer resources, shore you up, and help you find confidence that all can be well again.
Secondly, people may find in "breakdown" an opportunity to reassess what is most essential and decide how they wish to move forward. Major life events, while initially jarring, can also be springboards to significant growth and development. Through crises we may come to know ourselves better. We may find new meaning and new possibilities which were previously unknown. By working with this material in psychotherapy, you may find that you are not only ‘stronger at the broken places,’ but also becoming a fuller expression of your truest self.
Traumas and losses create not only a current state of instability; they can also reawaken earlier dormant experiences of being stressed, overwhelmed, and unable to cope. Our usual means of managing feelings become inadequate. We may find ourselves anxious or panicky. We may have trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, or poor concentration. We may feel lost, confused, possibly even hopeless.
In this situation, our first task is to get grounded again and to establish new coping skills. I will help you navigate through the instinctual "survival mode" which kicks in in times of crisis. Together we will gather your inner and outer resources, shore you up, and help you find confidence that all can be well again.
Secondly, people may find in "breakdown" an opportunity to reassess what is most essential and decide how they wish to move forward. Major life events, while initially jarring, can also be springboards to significant growth and development. Through crises we may come to know ourselves better. We may find new meaning and new possibilities which were previously unknown. By working with this material in psychotherapy, you may find that you are not only ‘stronger at the broken places,’ but also becoming a fuller expression of your truest self.