Individual Therapy for Children, Teens,
Adults and the Elderly
CHILDREN AND TEENS
Therapy to individuals takes several forms depending on circumstances. With children, assessment of ADHD, acting-out behavior and academic under-performance, are common problems that I encounter. My approach is a combination of play and family therapy, aimed at: developing a relationship with the child; helping him/her appreciate the importance of the problems confronting him/her; and developing a strategy to address the situation. Regular contact is maintained with his parents; they are enlisted as an essential part of treatment.
I help the child substitute deprecating self perceptions with affirming yet realistic beliefs about himself and to change dysfunctional behaviors into constructive habits that will help him succeed socially and academically.
My philosophy when working with children is summarized in this passage by Kahlil Gibran: Taken from "The Prophet":
"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters
of a life longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
and though they are with you,
yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love,
but not your thoughts
for they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies,
but not their souls,
for their souls dwell in the
house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit,
not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you,
for life goes not backward,
nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children,
as living arrows are set forth."
ADULTS AND THE ELDERLY
I often work with adults seeking help in dealing with anxiety, depression, substance abuse or relationship problems. My approach entails reviewing problems from the perspective of a person's early life experiences (especially family of origin), and addressing the symptoms by building on his/her coping mechanisms and interpersonal skills.
My theoretical orientation draws heavily from cognitive and behavioral theories; however, I often find that implementing stress reduction techniques increases the speed and effectiveness of therapy. Hypnosis is an especially effective tool for overcoming phobias and changing unhealthy habits. One powerful and short term therapy I practice is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). This innovative approach, used to treat anxiety, post traumatic stress, abuse and depression is designed to diminish the power of negative memories and replace detrimental self talk with positive beliefs about oneself and his potential and future.
My perspective when working with adults is similar to the ideas suggested by Kahlil Gibran in this passage from "The Prophet":
"The deeper that sorrow carves into
your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup
that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit
the very wood that was hollowed with knives?"
"Some of your say 'Joy is greater than sorrow,'
and others say 'Nay, sorrow is the greater'.
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come,
and when one sits alone with you at your board,
remember that the other is asleep
upon your bed."
