Individual Psychotherapy

At RTG we believe that the way we see the world and ourselves is shaped throughout our lives by our upbringing, culture, experiences, and relationships. We place emphasis on helping people explore the experiences that have shaped their view of the world and of themselves so that this can be reflected upon and honored as we think together about how people want to change. This is one of the reasons that we approach treatment using a “psychoanalytic” approach. 

So what does that mean? 

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy focuses on: 

  • Gaining insight into why you continue with patterns that aren’t currently working for you 

  • Understanding how your upbringing, family, and other relationships have shaped you. 

  • Exploring the story you tell yourself about who you are, and how to change that story. 

  • Understanding “unconscious” patterns -- basically things that we do and feel for reasons that are not obvious to us. For example, why despite all your efforts you seem to date the same person that is “not good” for you over and over again? 

This form of therapy honors the complexity of each person with whom we work. There are not always simple answers to most of the struggles we go through, and at RTG we believe therapy needs to honor how confusing and challenging it can be to understand ourselves and change. 

When you hear the word  “psychoanalytic” you might have an image of lying on a couch, talking endlessly for years on end. You may have even thought of Freud himself. Let’s put your mind at ease, you don’t have to lie on a couch to talk to us. And no, we are not just going to sit back and nod our heads and tell you that your mother is to blame for all your problems. We are warm, interactive, and honest. We will challenge you. We will help you dig deep to understand yourself, and we will not just be a spectator in this process. Trust is one of the most important (and healing) parts of coming to therapy, and we strive to create an environment where you feel safe and supported to look at your stuff.

For more information about the efficacy of psychoanalytic (also referred to as “psychodynamic”) approaches to treatment, see this article - “The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.” by Jonathan Shedler