Psychotherapy
Reasons People May Consider Psychotherapy:
- Difficulty adjusting to changes in family or employment
- Struggles coping with external stressors and hardships
- Problems concentrating and functioning at work or school
- Decreased social interaction or interpersonal conflicts
- Difficulty overcoming traumatic events
- Sadness, tearfulness, or grief
- Low motivation and lack of energy
- Feelings of guilt or low self-esteem
- Less pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyed
- Fatigue or sleeping too much or too little
- Changes in weight or appetite
- Restlessness and irritability
- Anxiety or symptoms of panic such as palpitations
- Excessive worry or rumination
- Obsessive or compulsive behaviors
- Harmful behavior toward self or others
It is worthwhile to consult with a mental health professional for assessment and treatment of these symptoms!
Therapy Helps People to:
- Increase insight by identifying the factors that contribute to their symptoms
- Set realistic goals to enhance their well-being
- Alter negative or distorted thinking patterns to improve their view of events
- Learn new coping techniques and problem-solving skills
- Reduce their presenting symptoms and complaints
- Regain a sense of well-being and reestablish balance
- Identify and verbalize feelings
- Feel more fulfilled in personal relationships and enjoy interactions
- Express themselves in a safe and understanding environment
- Experience validation and reassurance
- Process previous traumatic experiences that may underlie their emotional concerns
- Increase their self-esteem
Dr. Novello has an integrative approach and may draw on different psychological approaches during the course of therapy to deal with the problems that you hope to address, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, family systems, psychoeducational, developmental, and humanistic interventions. Therapy is a cooperative endeavor and a client works together with a therapist to establish the objectives of treatment, which can include relief of symptoms, solutions to specific problems, increased insight, or improved relationships.
Therapy can result in a number of benefits for you including better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. But in order for it to be successful, active efforts will be required on your part to be involved, honest, and open to changing your thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Change may be easy and swift or even slow and frustrating. There is no guarantee regarding how you will respond to therapy, however research clearly supports the overall effectiveness of psychotherapy. While therapy can have many benefits, there are also risks involved. Since therapy often involves remembering and discussing unpleasant memories or aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, fear, etc. However, these are important catalysts for change.
I strive to provide a safe space in which you can experience uncritical acceptance and explore your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through focused attention and empathy, I hope to promote self-understanding and to be a consistent and understanding presence in your life.