What to Expect

How heavy is your backpack?

I believe we are born with our own little backpack that grows with us. We throw the hurts of life into this backpack, and close it up tight.

For many of my clients, unpacking this backpack is what the work is all about.

We will do this unpacking at a pace with which you are comfortable – starting with the lightest loads and moving on the crevices of the backpack as your emotional muscles get stronger.

When the backpack contains a myriad of emotions…

I had a client Mary (assumed name) who grew up in a household with an angry mother and a depressed father.

When her parents were upset with each other, the house would descend into deathly silence as they ignored each other for weeks.

As an adult, Mary was a workaholic and perfectionist, reacted angrily to feedback, was conflict-avoidant, and ran from emotionally intimate relationships.

In therapy, Mary unpacked her mother’s criticism and high expectations; she learned that her inability to accept feedback, no matter how small, reflected how angry she was as a child when she never felt good enough.

Mary unpacked her childhood experience of a romantic relationship. Although it was a difficult process, she came to understand that her own relationships could be rewarding and fulfilling.