Treina Aronson, LMHC
Psychotherapy
"When we are no longer able to change a
situation - we are challenged
to change ourselves.”
          Victor Frankl
WHY CHOOSE PSYCHOTHERAPY?
What better investment than an investment in yourself-
How can therapy help?

Through therapy you will identify the obstacles that stand in the way of living a full and
rewarding life. Whether these obstacles are created by current stressors or an unresolved past,
therapy can assist you in finding ways to move past these obstacles.

Therapy is an intensely individual process, meaning there is no one ready-made therapy that
works for everyone.  Since life is a continual journey, with many bumps along the way, ultimately
therapy helps by assisting you in strengthening your own resiliency in the face of personal
adversity.
Under what circumstances do people usually consider using psychotherapy?

Close to 25 % of adults suffer at some time in their life from depression or anxiety. While therapy
is often used to treat clinical diagnoses, people choose therapy for a variety of reasons. Many
people choose therapy to help guide them through major life transitions.
Reasons for choosing psychotherapy may include the following:  

•        Feeling stuck or trapped  
•        Making an important decision
•        A difficulty in trusting others
•        Grief and loss
•        Relationship/Intimacy difficulties
•        Separation/Divorce
•        Parenting challenges
•        Fear that is preventing achievement of goals
•        Job stress, loss, or dissatisfaction
•       
 Excessive worry
What issues do couples work on in psychotherapy?

As with an individual, couples choose therapy for a variety of reasons. Couples may seek
psychotherapy to repair a damaged relationship, to proactively address issues to ensure
continued strength in their relationship, or they may be seeking counseling prior to taking a new
step such as living together or getting married. Some issues addressed with couples in therapy
are:
•        Communication
•        Money and finances
•        Sex and intimacy
•        Infidelity
•        Making decisions
•        Balancing priorities
•        Dealing with extended family
•        Blending families
•        Resolving conflict

While this list is by no means inclusive, your therapy may help you in one or more of the following
ways:

•        Rediscover a sense of purpose
•        Develop the ability to construct realistic plans
•        Bring passion back into your life
•        Learn how to relax and techniques to assist you
•        Balance priorities
•        Develop assertiveness skills in negotiation and decision making
•        Learn how to have fun again
•        Improve communication within personal and professional relationships
•        Gain an ability to set boundaries
•        Learn how to move past anxiety
•        Allow yourself to be open to intimacy
•        Gain confidence in your abilities
•        Build the capacity to manage strong emotions and impulses
•        Forgive yourself and/or others in your life
Is psychotherapy effective?

Psychotherapy has long been established as an effective means to diminish many mental health
symptoms such as depression, as well as to help people through difficult life transitions. However,
increasingly we understand the effects of psychotherapy to have an even broader reach. In
recent years the mind/body connection has garnered much attention by researchers. This
examination has lead to an increasing body of research identifying how therapy can have a
positive effect on a person’s overall health. In other words, strengthening your emotional health
has found to be reflected in positive physical health.    
For more information on the benefits of psychotherapy and the Mind/Body connection see  
Online Resources