Currently I am working with adult clients who are survivors of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse/trauma. Whatever the specifics of your childhood, you are welcome to seek changes and improvements in your life. Anyone who has made it to adulthood after a difficult childhood can be proud to be a survivor (even if you still struggle in life). Sometimes people know they have been put down, yelled at, laughed at, hit, or criticized, but they don’t recognize how such treatment has affected them.

One way people can be affected during childhoods that are not sufficiently supportive is that survivors often learn harsh self-comments and assumptions that are untrue. That is, when parents or other abusers say mean things or inappropriate things, children are too young to know any better or to defend themselves in body or mind, so they usually believe what adults or older children say about them. In response, survivors often develop beliefs or behaviors in an attempt to make sense of trauma or to cope with it. Years later, however, those beliefs and behaviors that were part of survival may not serve the original purpose and may even be obstacles to forming healthy relationships and achieving personal growth. My goal is to help clients make new choices when the old ones are not working. Sometimes, clients might not even remember having been abused, but might experience physical sensations or feel numb. Both the odd physical sensations and the numbness can cover deep feelings that are too scary to face alone. Therapy provides an opportunity to learn how these experiences are natural reactions to events that were overwhelming. No matter what you struggle with, you can work through negative emotions to get to the other side. On the other side of pain, everyone has an inner core of healthy resources that become functional when we let old behaviors and beliefs be replaced by those that are more healthy and realistic.

Even for people who know they want to make changes, therapy can feel scary. Many people worry that they will experience memories and emotions that are so painful they will not be able to handle these emotions or they won’t be able to “turn them off”. The therapeutic process does involve re-experiencing intense emotions, but the difference this time is that someone will be there with you to help you deal with what you feel. One of the rewards of participating in therapy is being able to release old pain so you can move in a positive direction.

I dedicate the first few sessions to gathering background information and learning what is working in your life and what is not working. After the initial sessions, we will begin to know where you want to make changes. Therapy is not an instantaneous cure. It can take a while for you to make the changes you desire. After all, it usually took years to develop the pain and bad habits you have.

To schedule an appointment, call 615-479-1667. I will be happy to discuss this information with you in more detail and answer your questions. I take only self-pay clients; I do not take any insurance, preferring not to release any information to insurance companies. I look forward to hearing from you and getting to know you.