My Approach
I have learned through experience and education that lasting change comes from within, and incrementally at that. That's why I am not going to tell you what to do. I defer to you as the expert on your life and what course of action you will take next. I can help you explore your options, thoughts, emotions, and history. I can also observe your experience as a second set of eyes, especially if there's a strong critic in your mind who makes you doubt yourself.
I have a bit of a nerdy side, which results in sharing information that I've gathered along my journey serving people. Sometimes it's useful! Sometimes you might not want to hear my factoids. If you ever want to change the way things are going in our therapeutic relationship, I invite your feedback. Our ability to collaborate on what works for you contributes to your power to advocate for your needs outside of therapy!
You may not hear me talking a lot about your diagnosis, but we can see if one fits your current experience if it interests you. I view the DSM-5 as a well-researched guide in outlining the wide range of mental experiences humanly possible. Under stress, and stressed over enough time, we all become diagnosable. Just as well, some of our traits are the results of conditions of our upbringing, and the experiences of our caregivers and ancestors. I find that each person fulfills a specific combination of criteria from any number of diagnoses. That doesn't mean we are all crazy. Well, actually it does! Could that be okay? In an ideal society, there would be a safe and purposeful place for every member with no stigma related to difference.
In fact, I don't support the use of the word crazy. I believe that emotions are information, and any experience you've had that made you think you were crazy was actually an experience of true humanity. You may have been situated in an inhumane environment (like a rough childhood), or faced with a superhuman challenge (like the incredible work of caring for people). You are not too much, you are exactly enough, and the problem is the problem-- not you.
So I'm in the business of destigmatizing human experiences, examining the many internal and external forces acting on people, and inviting you to have compassion for yourself. If you want a therapeutic relationship where you are accepted as you are, no matter where you fall on the spectra of labels applied to our existence, that's what you'll get with me.