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Significant Life Changes

BRIDES

Although getting married is an incredible time in life, many brides feel run over by the process. It is normal for a bride to feel energized and elated as well as overwhelmed, irritated, and frustrated. It is rare that brides have a confidential supportive place to bring their concerns.

Every bride wants to have the perfect wedding. Unfortunately, it is really easy to get lost in the details of the big day and to forget the greater purpose of this special event.

For this reason, I call my work with brides Wedding Presence. When you are entangled by your worries or concerns, it is difficult to enjoy the many steps involved in planning your dream wedding. In turn the “to dos” and the many events of your wedding -- finding your dress, attending a shower in your honor, or planning a delicious menu -- may begin to feel stressful and uncomfortable.

Taking an objective and compassionate look at the things that may be inhibiting you from feeling present -- clear, calm, balance and joyful -- can be incredibly useful. I will help you develop strategies to manage your stress so that you can respond instead of react to the challenges that come up along the way. I will also provide you with the chance to find new ways of thinking and feeling that will radically alter your experience of the wedding process. When you open to the incredible experiences and people all around you during this process, you will be able to see, sense, and realize new possibilities in yourself, in your partner, in our wedding, and your family.

This is an opportunity for you to activate your inner strength and stability so that you can approach the wedding and all of its many unknowns with confidence and clarity.

ENGAGED COUPLES

The wedding process is also stressful for engaged couples. Brides and Grooms may end up feeling disconnected and lost when faced with wedding planning, conflicting needs/ideas, and the family drama that tends to erupt before and after the wedding. In times of transition and stress, couples psychotherapy is a natural response to the every day challenges of being in a relationship. Increasing a couple’s understanding of the internal and external dynamics that are amplified during the process can significantly alter how they feel about marriage and each other. In a confidential supportive environment, I help couples take a moment to pause and come back to what is most important to them about the wedding process and their relationship.

POST WEDDING BLUES

Women often feel low after their big day. Brides go from being a “princess” to being “normal again.” The miss the excitement, the planning, and the details of organizing the “big day.” Men on the other hand, are often excited by the cleared schedule and ability to focus on other things in life.

Many brides do not have a confidential and supportive place to discuss this roller coaster of emotions. The low can last a few months and working with a psychotherapist therapist during this time can be very helpful to build new interests and passions that will foster confidence, compassion, and connection. Taking a moment to pause and find clarity of mind, emotional stability, and balance can make a significant difference as the low slowly lifts.

CANCER SURVIVORS

I have worked with women encountering the emotional, mental, physical and social ramifications of a cancer diagnosis at the Wellness Community in Pasadena and at the Art for Recovery Program at Mount Zion Hospital. In addition to my clinical experience, I worked at Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University as a project director of a pilot study investigating the benefits of support groups for women who have been diagnosed with cancer. My dissertation was also on cancer survivors.

In my work with cancer survivors over the years, I have been struck by the huge disconnect between the healing and the treatment aspects of the cancer experience. So often cancer survivors are confronted with the split between what doctors, culture and family deem reality (“You are fine now”) and you know to be true (“I have endured dramatic changes and I am not sure what to do now”).

There seems to be little understanding of the healing process that follows treatment. Many women feel totally alone when picking up the pieces. Sexuality and body image concerns are hard issues to talk about, and the whole cancer experience tends to illicit a host of thoughts and feelings that are unique for every woman. As a psychotherapist, I am committed to providing an accepting, thoughtful, and open environment to discuss whatever you wish.

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