AIDA THERAPY-The Dupont Circle Therapy Group
Rob Williams Telephone: 202-330-5390 Dupont Circle Metro Fax: 202-204-6058 |
Psychotherapy is a good choice when you are experiencing a major life change or challenge. If you experiencing divorce, death of a loved one, illness, disappointment, job loss, or relationship issues then you could benefit. As our lives evolve, we inevitably experience periods of loss, frustration and conflict that signal the need for better understanding and change. You may feel dissatisfied with your career, your relationships, or your level of motivation. Psychotherapy helps you learn to cope, regain your equilibrium, and make needed changes in your life. Psychotherapy also can help when you have feelings of sadness, meaninglessness, despair, anger, guilt, shame or anxiety. If you find that you have been irritable, worrying excessively or just feeling drained of energy; these could all be signals that you need help. As an individual, or as a member of a family or couple, you may be struggling with how to be a better parent or partner. Couples and families often go through transition periods, making them especially vulnerable to difficulties, such as new relationships, new parenthood, formation of stepfamilies, infertility, and separation or divorce. Psychotherapy is a shared space between a therapist and client, to spend time on a regular basis exploring challenges, dissatisfaction or dilemmas in the client’s life. You may have heard it called “talk therapy” or “interpersonal therapy.” It may surprise you to find that simply talking with a therapist will frequently make you feel less alone, shrink problems down to manageable size and lessen your symptoms. Psychotherapy is a commitment and takes time. Psychotherapy involves a real relationship between two people. It does not involve physical contact. It does involve both verbal and non-verbal communication and often silence and contemplation. Therapy is the one hour per week where you can be free to say or express anything you want, where you can drop all pretenses and conformities, and be in the moment with another human being. We spend a great deal of our time, trying to be what we think others expect us to be, or trying to be liked, or accepted. We keep much of ourselves hidden from most people, and often hidden from ourselves as well. Without knowing why, we can become unhappy, and sometimes depressed. We can forget how to be intimate, open, honest and true to ourselves. We can forget who we really are. We can become afraid. Psychotherapy is the reconnection with the real you through patient, compassionate, mindful inquiry and attention. Assumptions and beliefs about yourself, others and the world, are questioned. Emotions that you may be unaware of are brought to conscious awareness, where they can be felt and finally released. There is tremendous healing in being witnessed and seen for who you really are, without any judgment or criticism. As you begin to feel better about yourself, possible solutions to your problems become more obvious. Psychotherapy can provide:
How do I choose the right therapist? The best thing is to shop around (check therapy websites and use the Psychology Today therapist finder for your area) and come in for a consultation with those therapists that seem to appeal to you. I offer a free consultation for the first visit. If you decide you do not want to work with me, there is no charge. You can also ask your questions during a phone conversation and then decide to come in for an initial evaluation. During that first visit, while I am evaluating you and your circumstances to see if I can help you, it is your opportunity to evaluate me and see if I am the right fit for you as well. I think there are three main things to look for in a therapist: Licensing, Proficiency and Chemistry. Licensing: Check with your state or local licensing board to ensure the practitioner has a license to practice psychotherapy. I practice with an LICSW license from the District of Columbia. This means that I have achieved the highest level of licensing available and may practice independently. Proficiency: Every licensed provider has demonstrated a minimum level of education and experience, according to state standards. Most therapists also have areas in which they specialize. You will want to ask your potential therapist about the status of her/his license, her/his experience and approach to treating your particular problem or issue. Chemistry: Once you feel satisfied that your therapist has the right expertise, then it becomes a matter of “fit” between yourself and your therapist. Some questions you might want to ask yourself are:
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