Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is the cornerstone of psychological services. One in ten individuals will need professional services on any given day. My approach is to problem solve with the client on contemporary issues. The past is only used as a way of understanding the present, but clients need help with here and now issues. Individual therapy may focus on symptom reduction such as stress reduction, pain management, anxiety reduction, or it may focus on successful management of problematic events such as marital discord, work relationships, or social interactions. Most clients come to therapy on a weekly basis unless there are severe psychological conditions requiring more frequent visits.? Specific interventions may include hypnosis and progressive relaxation. Hypnosis is particularly useful for the management of anxiety and physical pain. It is a natural and safe procedure with no side effects. Contrary to popular myths, the client is fully conscience and aware throughout the hypnotic procedure. Progressive relaxation teaches the client to tense and relax various muscle groups so as to relieve tension and stress.? I make a relaxation tape for my clients so that they may practice at home and tell me how effective the procedure is to them.

Finally there are specific treatments for phobias that are highly successful. The client is taught to relax and then is exposed to the feared objects in increasing forms of intensity that can be tolerated. The anxiety to the feared object is thus extinguished.