How does talking to a professional help? How is counseling different than talking to my friends and family, or working out problems on my own?

First of all, counseling isn’t about “fixing” you. You’re not broken. I typically see adults, children, couples and families that are basically healthy, but whose lives have become unsettled or even overwhelmed by recent events. My clients often experience a flare-up of depression or anxiety symptoms after a parenting impasse, marital communication problems, job stress, a divorce, family illness or losses, or another type of distressing experience. Other clients feel themselves or a child is being held back in some area of their life by a chronic condition like ADHD, Bipolar Depression or past traumatic experiences, even if other aspects of life are going smoothly.

Whatever your personal concerns, a trained psychologist can often offer a more objective and  knowledgeable perspective than can friends and family.  A psychologist can help you see your situation more clearly, and offer options or suggestions you hadn’t thought of that you may choose to implement.  Ultimately, counseling provides a safe and confidential environment to learn new skills, to make good decisions, to improve your confidence, and to eliminate unnecessary feelings of distress.  The result is feeling more free, effective and happy– whether at home, school, work or in your personal relationships.