Welcome!

Is there an issue in your life that is holding you back from being happy? Are you looking to improve your relationship with spouse and/or family? Do you feel stuck or in an emotional rut? Are you feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed? Whether you are an individual focusing upon a painful issue or a partner in a hurtful relationship or a member of a family in chaos, psychotherapy is a process that can work for you.

The process of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a brief process (usually no more that 10 to 20 sessions depending upon the issue) by which one identifies old patterns that have become dysfunctional and are no longer true solutions that work and replaces them with new behavior that allows for greater emotional connection for yourself and others. The result is renewed energy and happiness. Yet, the process of therapy does request that you become committed to seeking a new solution. It does ask you to change your habits, i.e. from scanning your environment for negatives to scanning your environment for positives.

Old patterns generally are those that we all have observed in the family in which we grew up. Maybe they worked there or they may have been dysfunctional even back then. However, they “feel” like they ought to work and therefore we all keep using them. Eventually, those patterns become a “knee-jerk” reaction that we automatically use without evaluating whether or not they actually help us solve differences or issues. Sometimes these patterns are based upon our “winning” and, of course, our partner or family member “losing,” only to produce gridlock with others whom we wish to love and from whom we wish to receive love.

Individual Therapy

There are a variety of issues in and around us that have an impact on the way we feel. Sometimes it is stress on the job, unaccountable feelings of depression or anxiety, or old experiences, traumas, or feelings that are still affecting our lives today. Therapy can be an effective way to talk through such concerns and to find new, more effective solutions.

Couples Therapy

We offer the Gottman method of couples’ therapy (see gottman.com). It is a “cutting edge” approach built upon observations of what couples actually do who are in relationships that they describe as “healthy and happy.”

Foster respect, affection, and closeness
Build and share a deeper connection with each other's inner world
Keep conflict discussions calm
Break through and resolve conflict gridlock
Strengthen and maintain the gains in your relationship

Learn how to repair your arguments before they damage your relationship. This therapy helps partners focus upon their positives and end cycles of negative interaction.

Family Therapy

A problem in a family is a result of the way in which people have interacted over many years. Often, they are not aware of this interaction. The problem seems unsolvable and the whole family is frustrated. We use an approach called Family Systems Therapy. Both Ginny and I have 30 years of experience in helping families find closeness.

The focus of the therapy is to help your family change how they interact, since the problematic behavior is usually a result of that faulty interaction. In addition to family therapy, we offer play therapy effective in helping children and parents form a deeper attachment to one another (see Theraplay.org).

HOW TO GET STARTED

It takes courage to enter a therapeutic process. One has to be brave to look at oneself and take ownership of what one is doing to aid the “problem.” We all have learned to “blame” those outside of ourselves first. Unfortunately, defensiveness on our part usually only contributes to place criticism at our partner’s or family member’s doorstep.

Please do not hesitate to seek a better life for yourself! A professional therapist can facilitate a solution that fits for you. After you are satisfied with your change, we respectfully cease our confidential relationship. This is not the case if you approach a friend or a family member for advice.

Take a moment to browse each of our pages that describe those therapies and issues in which we, Ginny and Graham Thompson, each specialize.

Thank you for your interest in us. We wish you the best in seeking those solutions that will bring you happiness and peace.

Ginny Thompson, LCSW

Graham Thompson, LMFT

Welcome!