Emotions & Self
Healing our true selves and behaviors to experience real connection
Experiencing a personality disorder is not easy. It can leave you feeling rejected, abandoned, worthless and angry. It may impact your relationships, profession, and other areas of your life. It doesn’t have to, It can be different!
“As an experienced therapist, I will work with you to address traumas or troubling events in your life. Teaching you the skills to regulate emotions and gain a sense of control of fluctuating emotions. As your therapist, I offer an empathic, understanding of your unique situation with expert knowledge and guidance. I can be the support you need by teaching you coping skills and emotional management.”
I specifically treat borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and other disorders of personality. I have provided several descriptions of personality challenges and symptoms that may appear. Please note not all symptoms need to be met to suggest a personality disorder.
Symptoms of Personality Challenges
Relationships and Behavior
- Intimacy and trust issues
- Perceived rejection
- Recklessness
- Family and peer conflict
- Destructive behaviors
- Abuse of drug, alcohol or other impulsive behaviors
- Abusive and/or victim of abusive relationships.
- Avoidance of other
Emotions & Mood
- Emotional volatility, outbursts, or fluctuations
- Anger at self or others
- Excessive anxiety, shyness, inhibition, fear of rejections
- Overwhelming emotions, and dramatic emotional shifts
- Difficulty calming oneself and self-soothing
Cognitions
- Confusion of ones identify or self-image
- Grandiose self of self and inferiority
- Critical and judgmental thinking of self or others
- Feelings of “righteousness”
- Confusion of sexual or gender identify
- Difficulty making decision or excessive perfectionism
- Unusual perception experiences or thoughts
- Intrusive thoughts and internal conflicts with self and relation to others
Personality Disorder Treatment
I offer my clients an informed treatment approach that is compassionate, systematic, and progressive in the context of a committed long-term relationship. The following treatment approaches through experience and research show a demonstrated high rate of success.
Schema Therapy is a systematic approach that draws on the cognitive-behavioral, attachment, psychodynamic, and emotion-focused traditions and conceptualizes patients who have personality disorders. To this end, there are four core mechanisms of change that are used in this therapy: (1) limited reparenting, (2) experiential imagery and dialogue work, (3) cognitive restructuring and education, and (4) behavioral pattern breaking. These interventions are used during the three phases of treatment: (1) bonding and emotional regulation, (2) schema mode change, and (3) development of autonomy.