I love doing individual therapy, especially with people who have survived trauma, such as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as people who struggle with addictions and eating disorders.
My role model for the therapy I do is actually Harriet Tubman, although the risks I take are far less than the ones she took. Harriet Tubman escaped from the hell of slavery, and then repeatedly risked her life to go back down to the South and help others escape from that same hell. That is what I think about doing therapy for trauma work—I escaped the hell of trauma and self-abuse, and now I am revisiting it a little to help others escape from that same hell.
I primarily do Gestalt therapy, a kind of therapy that is very experiential and feelings-focused, and it uses body process. Our bodies have stored our past experiences, and so it is possible to access the past and heal it by listening to our physical bodies. Also, we often have old feelings trapped in our bodies, which can hold us back from being happy in our present lives. Releasing some of those old emotions will free us to have the lives we want in the present.
So why would you want to work with me in individual therapy? Well, I have been a therapist for over 25 years, and have oodles of experience and training, especially with low self-esteem, trauma, and addictions. I have had personal experience in all these areas, both the extreme pain and loneliness of being stuck in them, and the joy of recovery. In addition, I am an exceptionally compassionate and loving person, and very creative and funny. I have worked tons on my own recovery and self-esteem, and today I can say that I love myself. I wish that for you, as well.