Our counselors provide therapy in Charlottesville, VA

My go-to approach for helping people in individual therapy is very eclectic, and client-centered. I find the best benefit in working from a psychodynamic perspective because our past experiences greatly inform how we make sense of ourselves and the world around us. I then will work in different therapeutic approaches based upon the client’s needs, and what they feel works best for them.

I teach the following tools in individual therapy:

• Mindfulness
• Grounding exercises
• Meditation
• Body scanning
• Sitting with and identifying emotions
• Journaling
• CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)
• Communication skills
• Boundary setting
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Breathing exercises
• Positive affirmations
• Core belief identification
• Attachment styles

I know a client is making meaningful progress in individual therapy when skills and tools learned during sessions are used without much effort outside of sessions in daily life, leading to a reduction in symptoms, and an increase in overall mood.

Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy by journaling, logging their moods, practicing skills, and completing any homework given. The majority of the work done in therapy takes place not during session, but rather outside in our daily lives.

To prepare for your first individual therapy session, you can think about “why now?” What is bringing you into therapy at this time? What symptoms are you experiencing? How long have you been experiencing them? What are you most hoping to accomplish in therapy? What changes do you want to see? If you have been in therapy before, what worked well for you? What did not work well for you?