It is a difficult decision to begin counseling and to choose to trust a total stranger with the intimate details of your life. For this reason, I attempt to take some of the mystery out of the process of beginning counseling, and tend to share information about how therapy works and why. The chemistry and connection between a psychotherapist and a client is a very vital ingredient in healing. People need to feel respected, valued and understood by their psychotherapists.

Most people begin psychotherapy at a point in their lives when what they have been doing in the world is no longer working for them. They would like to find alternative ways to think, act, feel, and perceive themselves, but do not have the tools to discover those alternatives on their own. Many people also go through life with unresolved losses that can affect their behaviors and attitudes about others. I am very familiar with helping people to examine their relationship struggles and patterns, and to create positive changes through increased communication and connection.

Unresolved losses can come in many forms; the most obvious being the death of a loved one. But there are always losses inherent in other life circumstances, including divorce, domestic violence and abuse, adoption, miscarriage, career changes, incest, relocation, infidelity, betrayal, chronic illness, trauma, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, neglect and low self esteem. The way we grieve these losses plays a crucial role in how we live our lives, and how we determine our futures.

It has always been my privilege as a psychotherapist to assist clients to reach their goals and empower themselves to live to their full potential, as well as to achieve internal harmony and peace of mind.

Lori Bennett, LCSW
Boulder Therapy for Women