Throughout life, we will experience challenges, sometimes internally and others due to factors outside of our control. For some of these, we are able to work through them with little difficulty, and others seem to stick with us and may even start to impact other areas of our life, like at work, with our relationships, with our interests, or even how we view ourselves. If you are experiencing these or similar difficulties and unsure of how to start or what to do next, speaking with a therapist may be a helpful next step. 

Working with a therapist in individual therapy creates a safe and judgment-free space. You have a chance to speak openly and honestly about the things that have been weighing you down, identify themes and areas of change, and learn new approaches to solving your problems with someone who is trained and supportive.

As your therapist, I will help you understand where, how, and why your challenges are presenting while also providing new tools and techniques to reduce your mental discomfort in those areas. Through empathetically driven conversations, homework, accountability, and tracking of progress toward your personally identified goals we will work towards healing and understanding of your experiences. Resulting in you growing into a better version of yourself. 

My goal for all of my clients is for them to feeling happier, more connected to the things that matter most to them, and be able to let go of the things that get in the way. We can get stuck at different moments of our lives, and sometimes we feel like we are going to stay stuck forever. With the tools and insight that can be gained from therapy it can be a lot easier to take that next first step.

If you’re ready to have someone in your corner, please reach out.

Email us at benm@growingintobetter.com or call or text (609)505-0616 for your free 15 minute phone consultation.

FAQs ABOUT INDIVIDUAL THERAPY 

What is it? What does it entail? Why do it?

Individual Therapy, or individual counseling, is the process of meeting with a trained psychotherapist one on one to address things that are getting in the way of living the life you want. I meet with my clients on a weekly basis for 60-minute long sessions. During the first session, I ask my clients what brought them in, and provide a safe, supportive space for them to tell me their stories.

In my style the first few weeks of therapy are really focused on building a trusting relationship with the client. Together we will explore where they are feeling the most impacted by their presenting concern and explore new tools that can help them with those challenges. This will look like having homework between sessions that is related to building an understanding of the problem or practicing a new tool to help work through the specific challenge. Seeing a reduction in the presenting challenges and building a trusting relationship will create an environment where it is easier to dive deeper into understanding the underlying causes of the client’s area of concern. 

With the help of a therapist, the client is able to connect the dots and to better recognize why they have made the choices they have made, and how their experiences have shaped them.

What should I expect initially in individual therapy?

The first few weeks of therapy are spent outlining what prompted you to decide it was time to get some help, and to identify the goals you have for therapy. I'll discuss your current challenges and what has been getting in your way. There is also an immediate focus on building and practicing new tools to help reduce the mental anguish you are experiencing. You and I will also work on establishing your goals of what you want out of therapy and find a way to track the progress of those goals throughout therapy. 

What happens as individual therapy progresses?

As the therapeutic process continues, I will review the tracking toward your therapy goals, identify possible barriers that are getting in the way of reaching those goals, and develop an understanding of behavioral patterns that you may be engaging in that are contributing to the problem. With the development of new tools and insight into the problem past clients have reported feeling more self-aware, empowered, confident, a better communicator, and better able to identify their goals and build a plan to reach them. 

What kind of issues can you work through in Individual Therapy?

Each client has a unique experience and their own individual trials and strengths. I work with individual clients who are struggling with depression and anxiety and those who want to strengthen their sense of self or are recovering from traumatic experiences. Many of my clients also find that they can better navigate their challenging relationships after working through their challenges in individual therapy.