Breakthroughs
Am I Invisible?
Healing From An Unwanted Divorce
46 year old male was feeling hurt and angry as he faced an unwanted divorce. He had been accused of being intimidating in his appearance and behavior. While wary of therapy, he secretly hoped someone would “get him.” We used Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to address his limiting beliefs and emerging underlying trauma. As a child, his father clearly favored his brother to the exclusion of this man who attempted to drown himself at age 4. His unconscious belief was that no one cared or even noticed him so he felt “invisible!” I noticed a shift in his demeanor through just the initial process of setting up the EMDR protocol. A few more sessions reinforced the changes, and he finished therapy with beliefs and tools that would help him in future situations and relationships.
I Would Rather Die Than Give Up My Addictions!
An Addict’s Story Of Recovery
26 year old male presented with a specific trauma (attack) that occurred under the influence of alcohol. Had he not been drinking, the attack would not have occurred. Facing his alcohol problem, he chose to go to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and face unresolved issues with his family of origin and intimate relationships as well as deal with the trauma. He attended AA meetings while I worked with him using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help him understand and change his beliefs. He is well on his way to making changes to rebuild his life.
Why Am I Losing Time?
Woman Living With Multiple Personalities
68 year old female presented with severe anxiety resulting from childhood abuse manifesting in episodes of amnesia. I diagnosed her with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Dissociation is a defense mechanism that allows the individual to function and feel safe by splitting off a part of herself/himself into “altars”….until he/she cannot. Using hypnosis, I made “suggestions” to address the altars to eliminate self-destructive behaviors and engage in the healing process, using various tools to help the person function over the course of therapy and beyond. We terminated therapy when no new stories from the altars appeared and this woman had more connection and purpose in her life.
Where Did Daddy Go?
Young Child With Separation Anxiety
Almost 3 year old was brought to see me due to difficulties separating from her mother after her father left the home to go to jail for molesting Mother’s teenage niece. She was manifesting disturbance in several major areas of her life including sleep and appetite. Due to the child’s developmental level, she had no way to make sense of what had happened in her life. I used Play Therapy to help this child, as “play” is really the child’s work in learning how to be a member of their family and society. Mom was included in this therapy until the child was able to be alone with me in the room. For the majority of the therapy process, the child took 3 sets of dolls, put each Daddy doll into a spot labeled jail. Each week the Girl dolls rescued the Daddy dolls from jail over and over again. I knew she was done with therapy when the Girl dolls did not have to rescue the Daddy dolls any longer. Her symptoms dramatically improved.
From Distress To Happiness
Young married couple in their 20’s were struggling to make their marriage work, questioning whether they were compatible, with issues of trust and “secrets.” Both had insight into how their dysfunctional childhoods played into these issues, but they lacked communication skills or the tools necessary to get their needs met. Having no issues with affairs, addictions, or abuse, nevertheless they appeared stuck. This is not unusual for couples to face this first disillusionment at some point, but most do not use this as an opportunity to heal childhood wounds that get mirrored and triggered in a close committed relationship. In addition, I diagnosed the wife with a Bipolar Disorder and referred her to see a psychiatrist for an evaluation. When the couple returned, they were ready to do the necessary work to look at their unconscious agendas stemming from childhood and to listen without getting defensive, so they could mange their relationship with greater trust and happiness. This couple went on to express a desire to give back to others from their emotional abundance.