“Only becoming conscious of old and unchosen patterns allows us to change them, and even so, change, no matter how much for the better, still feels cold and lonely at first -- as if we were out there on the edge of the universe with the wind whistling past our ears -- because it doesn’t feel like home. Old patterns, no matter how negative and painful they may be, have an incredible magnetic power -- because they do feel like home.“ Gloria Steinem, The Revolution Within
I am trained as a psychodynamic therapist. Psychodynamic means that our sense of ourselves is a dynamic mix of conscious understanding of self, and unconscious motivations which have been forged in our earliest experiences of relationship. Throughout our lives we are constantly evolving and adapting to changing circumstances, but sometimes we get stuck. We can feel locked into painfully repetitious patterns that no longer serve us. It can feel as though we have no power over our own lives. And, although we may want to make change, change is not always comfortable or easy.
Should we decide to work together, I‘ll ask three things of you: 1) show up for our regularly scheduled appointments; 2) keep to our financial agreements; and 3) be honest with me, as least as honest as you can. The therapeutic process is a creative, collaborative process of self discovery, but the format is deceptively simple. Whether we work together for a few weeks, a few months, or a few years, it is always the same: you come to my office and we sit and talk. We start by talking about what brings you in and what you’d like to accomplish in the course of our continued conversations.
My strong belief and experience is that your willingness to engage with a therapist of your choice is the beginning of the healing process. It means that you have decided to be an active participant in your own mental health. Wherever you are in your life and whatever may be going on, in making the choice to begin the therapeutic conversation, you are starting to live the change you want, and more fully create the life you are passionate about living.
Copyright © 2008-2018 Eileen M Flanagan LMFT All rights reserved.