Jennifer Rhodes, PH.D. - Private clinical practice with adults singly or coupled. Specializing in grief and transition, depression, anxiety, relationships, stress management and relaxation training

Psychotherapy is an opportunity to look at yourself and evaluate what behaviors are no longer in your best interest. The intent is to alter those that may no longer serve you. Most of us suffer from bouts with depression, compulsions, anxiety or other obstacles during our lives. When these interfere with our daily living enough to cause problems with our families, friends, work, health or self-satisfaction, professional assistance may be beneficial. Often at these times we feel out of touch with who we are and are not honoring who we know ourselves to be. This is what I call being out of touch with your integrity. In psychotherapy, you have the opportunity to understand yourself better and realign with the best parts of you.

Accountability is an important part of the psychotherapeutic process. As a psychologist, I pledge to do my best to help you reach the goals we establish as basic to your growth. This is a mutually accountable process in that I will challenge you to do your part to achieve those goals, both in our sessions as well as in your take home assignments. Ideally, most of the work occurs outside of our one-on-one sessions since that is where you want to manifest change.

As part of my work, I typically teach cognitive restructuring in which you learn how to respond to the thoughts you give yourself in more empowering ways. Research has shown that this is an effective tool in reducing depression. By changing your thoughts, you can create more positive feelings and behaviors. Other tools we might use include relaxation training to help with anxiety and stress, visualization, desensitization to traumatic events, exercises to monitor and process emotions, as well as other opportunities to create increased integrity with the self.

At its best, psychotherapy provides a vehicle to assist in aligning your physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual sides. When balanced, the resulting sense of wholeness and harmony can create the experience of wellbeingness.