links | readings | FAQs
Links on Psychodynamic Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
How Long Effective Therapy Takes
Introduction to Contemporary Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Readings
Past and current patients have found the following books generally helpful:
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, PhD & Amelia Nagoski, DMA
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker, MA
· Pete Walker also has a helpful, patient friendly website
FAQs
Will you share what we talk about with anyone else?
Your sessions and status as a patient with me are confidential, and it is my ethical and legal duty to uphold this. I can only talk to other people about your meetings with me if you authorize me to do so. I routinely consult with other professionals, a common best practice for psychologists. If I am consulting with them about my work with you, I protect your identity.
There are exceptions to confidentiality in extenuating circumstances involving life-threatening risk of intentional harm to yourself or others, as well as other select situations. I will discuss these with you at our first meeting. I encourage you to ask any questions you might have about confidentiality at any point in the process.
How do I prepare for sessions?
People prepare for sessions in a variety of ways. I encourage people to try to come to session and talk freely about what feels most important to them at that time, whether it’s something that makes them feel good or bad. Some people benefit from reflecting before sessions about what they would like to discuss or bringing in a journal to read from. Whatever your preference, I am open to your creative use of the therapy process.
How long will it take to experience changes?
The path to change can vary from person-to-person and depends on a mixture of individual goals and personality. Some recent literature suggests that, on average, significant changes occur around the six month mark and that people who stay in therapy for up to a year tend to improve the most. Bear in mind that this is based on a statistical average, and individual cases can vary substantially, being shorter or longer.
In my experience, it is common for patients to go through periods of more intense emotions as significant change is occurring, then to achieve a new stability, and to repeat this cycle until goals are achieved and they deem treatment to be finished. Again, this varies per person.
Do you prescribe psychotropic medication?
As a psychologist, I do not prescribe medication. Psychiatrists, physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and other such medical professionals prescribe medication. If you are taking medication or start taking medication, I am comfortable collaborating with your prescribing physician.
What is your stance on psychotropic medication?
I believe medication (antidepressants, anti-anxiety, etc.) needs to be used thoughtfully, that patients should be given full knowledge of the benefits and risks of taking a medication, and that the decision to use medication is ultimately the patient’s choice, not mine or the prescribing professional’s. In short, I have a conservative, patient-centered stance on medication. I rarely feel strongly that patients need to take medication while they are in therapy with me and tend to be sparse in recommending patients consult with a psychiatric professional unless I have good reason to think medication may be necessary.