Our counselors provide therapy in Dallas, GA

A handful of my favorite approaches for supporting folks in individual therapy are person-centered therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and systemic therapy. These approaches allow me to center the client as the expert of their own life while acting as an evidence-based support for them to rely on throughout their journey. I enjoy collaborating with clients to find supports, systems, and resources that tangibly and realistically support their day-to-day emotional and behavioral functioning, both internally and externally!

Tools that I feel are extremely beneficial to develop in individual therapy are:

• Emotional regulation: Identifying strategies and tools to moderate a set of emotions
• Boundary awareness: Strengthening your ability to set a boundary for yourself, or honor the boundaries of others, in a context of environments, relationships, and phases of development
• Self-compassion and acceptance: Exploring how to accept and hold grace for parts of ourselves we may hide, bury, or avoid in order to survive our day-to-day
• Examination of patterns/themes across the lifespan: Identifying the origin and significance of recurring patterns, themes, and overtones in your personal narrative and interpersonal relationships
• Community/natural resource allocation: Developing your ability to identify and utilize resources that are naturally available to you within your systems
• Externalization: Learning how to separate stressors, challenges, or problems as external from your own identity and as separate entities to be explored/addressed

Meaningful progress in individual therapy will look different for everyone! Generally speaking, it becomes more evident when meaningful progress is being made in individual therapy when the client engages in deeper self-led reflection in sessions, demonstrates an increased comfortability with processing all parts of themself in sessions (even if at times those parts can be harmful/hurtful), and starts to experience increased positive functioning in their day-to-day life.

Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy with group therapy, peer support groups, or individual work! There are many ways to supplement time in individual therapy to ensure that a client is continuing to work towards their therapeutic/personal goals. I will often encourage clients I work with who do not want to engage in other therapies to continue tracking themes/patterns in their lives, as our responsibilities and relationships are rapidly changing, and identify opportunities outside of sessions to practice tools that align with their goals.

To prepare for your first therapy session, I would highly encourage you to breathe. The therapeutic relationship is incredibly unique and deserves to go at your pace. If a client is wanting to walk into their first session with a specific path or direction, before their first session, they can create a set of goals for themselves. For example, to not give up if they do not find the right therapeutic fit at first, or to continue advocating for the support that they need in all areas of their life (doctors, therapists, mentors, etc.).