Adult Treatment

There are many reasons you might feel psychodynamic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis might be for you. Many of us think of attending psychotherapy at times of distress and transition (divorce, loss of a loved one, illness, change of a job). Certainly , seeking support from a caring and thoughtful mental health provider during those moments can prove to be extremely helpful and productive. Also, when a specific difficulty presents itself (can’t sleep, eating too much, problems communicating with your children or your spouse) serves as a motivator to seek a space where to feel, think and reflect openly in the context of a safe and confidential environment.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy offers a safe space where we go beyond the transition or problem at hand. In my work with clients I hope to access old and repeated ways of relating which might not be proving effective. Also, we work together in increasing your capacity for self-observation in the context of the relationship as we “imagine” what others think and feel when in relationship with you. In other words, we mentalize together.

I offer individual psychotherapy and psychoanalysis services. Upon meeting for the first time, we will explore the nature of your concerns or personal goals and decide what we both feel you need after an initial assessment period. 

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Types of Treatment

individual adult psychotherapy

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy is based on the belief that we all have an unconscious mind. This is the main difference between this way of thinking and working and other treatment modalities. As a result, psychodynamic psychotherapy invites clients to explore, learn and grow in the context of a safe and predictable therapeutic relationship. We do that going from surface to depth. Sometimes we need to stay on the surface for a long time before we feel strong enough to get to the depth. Talking , thinking and feeling in the secure base of the therapeutic space leads hopefully to growth and development. I believe both child and adult treatment are basically a developmental journey in which we revisit the past, experience and survive the present and imagine the future.

psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is the practice of working with a highly qualified mental health provider who has had 6 additional years of specialized training . All psychoanalysts have had the experience of psychoanalysis themselves as part of their training. Psychoanalysis seeks to really go from surface to depth, to listen to the unconscious as well as to support clients in their journey to revisit old relationship patterns and at times, re-experience the feelings from early stages of their lives which they have managed but not completely forgotten.  Much psychoanalysis occurs with the client laying on a couch and the analyst sitting behind them. However, this is not a strict rule and many clients choose to begin the process while still seeing their analyst. The process seeks to enhance your self observation, understanding common patterns of relationship and coping with difficult feelings . It seeks to help patients to feel worth loving and learn how to love in a more rewarding and freeing way.

mentalization based therapy

Mentalization Based Therapy is an integrative form of psychotherapy, bringing together aspects of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, systemic and ecological approaches. MBT was developed and manualised by Peter Fonagy and Anthony Bateman, designed for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Some of these individuals suffer from disorganized attachment and failed to develop a robust mentalization capacity. Fonagy and Bateman define mentalization as the process by which we implicitly and explicitly interpret the actions of oneself and others as meaningful on the basis of intentional mental states. The object of treatment is that patients with BPD increase their mentalization capacity, which should improve affect regulation, thereby reducing suicidality and self-harm, as well as strengthening interpersonal relationships.