who comes to therapy and why…

People come to see me are from all walks of life and of all ages. And they do so to feel more or less: searching for more meaning, interest and engagement in life; or less unhappiness, dissatisfaction,or emptiness. It would be impossible to create a list of all the types of people and their particular needs who seek out therapy. But i can speak to certain more usual concerns and questions. As I do, you will also see the ways in which therapy can benefit you.

• those who find history repeating itself and recognizing they likely are contributing to that repetition and wanting to find out why.
• when at a crossroad in life or in a period of transition, learning to tap into greater  strength and make better use of your inner resources.
• seeking more satisfaction and intensity in relationships yet feeling unable to do so.
• knowing that life is going in a direction that is unsatisfactory but not knowing how to change it.
• behaving in ways that bring little reward but unable to change those behaviors.
• overcoming fear so as to move forward differently in life.
• trying to steer past obstacles but needing help in how to do so.
• attempting to develop a different view or perspective of life.
• greater success -achieving more, knowing that one has within the ability to do so, but unable to gain access to that ‘something’, wondering what is in the way.
• trying to find something as-yet-unidentified within you that is yearning to be heard, but is causing dissatisfaction and unrest.
• being a better partner, friend, daughter/son or parent.

these are very individualized goals, defined by the person seeking therapy:

• admiring oneself for one’s behavior: sometimes described as being a better person; again, a highly individualized desire, specific to that person.
• adolescents trying to sort out confusion and needing guidance and direction.
• learning to manage and better handle situations and periods in life that are stressful.
• sometimes just needing ‘ a second opinion’ on a matter of importance.
• couples seeing more intimacy and understanding with one another.
• difficulties in making commitments – to oneself and others.
• a previous therapy has left with you with unanswered questions or was headed in a direction that you felt did not address your needs.

I think this list helps illustrate the universality of us as humans. I suppose i could summarize the concerns above simply as developing strategies for living and tools for coping.   But those are such general terms. As you see, it is the people who have come to therapy who arrange themselves into these themes. You can also see that some of these concerns are situational and some are more long-standing. Therapy is so broad-based; it can be a two-to-three session process or a more extended one. It can speak to day-to-day external concerns or those at a more inner, deeper level. It all depends on you. It is your therapy.

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I am Dr. Suraleah Michaels, a licensed clinical psychologist, located in Chicago. I provide adult individual psychotherapy as well as couples, relationship and marital counseling. My specialties include coaching and consulting for entrepreneurs; coaching and consulting to professionals in transition; and a focus on the New Generation of Women 55-Plus.

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