Marty L. Cooper, MFT
4831 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94118
martycooper@mlcooper.com
www.mlcooper.com
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September 2010 Vol. 2, Issue 11
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Greetings!
Greetings!
Here is the third in a series of Q&A that I have been offering these last months. My intention is to write short, and hopefully pithy, responses to questions posed to me. Let me know if you might have any questions that you might want me to tackle, and thanks to you who have sent your comments in.
For this month, the question is: "Can any therapist help with any problem?"
Be well,
Marty
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Q: Can any therapist help with any problem?
A: No. There are two reasons for this. One is simply in terms of specialization--does the therapist have the knowledge necessary to help a specific problem--and the second is in terms of match or chemistry--Do the client and the therapist "click"?
The former actually seems, from research on therapeutic efficacy, to be the minor factor. Since the prerequisite of therapy is a basic sense of safety and goodwill, the most credentialed doctor with the most specific knowledge will likely affect very little in your depression if you don't trust or feel safe with them.
Why? Because when we feel unsafe we go into defense mode, i.e., we close down our openness to relationship and new information, and only focus on what's relevant to fighting or fleeing or freezing. That is, we focus on how to survive what feels like a danger. We don't feel that we can take the risk of openness, any more than if we think the russel in the bushes is a lion are we going to consider the internal source of our fears. Survival trumps, even if it's a symbolic survival in the therapist's office.
So while competence is important, in terms of experience, ethics, and knowledge, feeling safe enough with our therapist is necessary in order to allow us to take the risks required for healing. So, then, all therapists are not created equal, but mostly in terms of whether or not we "click" with them. That's a subjective decision, but more important than credentials, and will likely determine much of how far you go in breaking down your depression.
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Online Articles
Past articles can be found at my articles page by clicking here. |
About Marty
Marty Cooper is a San Francisco psychotherapist who helps individuals
struggling with anxiety and depression to not only manage these "wild
moods," but eventually learn how to overcome them. His background in
both Western approaches to healing, as well as Eastern mindfulness
practices (meditation) give a wide range of perspectives and techniques to bring to the work of taming mood.
Marty's passion arises out of his
deep understanding of how painful anxiety and depression can be, and
his wish to help others learn how to avoid overwhelm, as well as to
find meaning in experience that can otherwise at times just seem pointless.
Joy, connection, and a life not ruled by fear are all truly possible.
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Services
I offer psychotherapy to those who are wanting to learn deeper and more effective management strategies for their anxiety and depression, as well those who wish to find out how to overcome these wild moods. I work comprehensively with mental, emotional, bodily, and spiritual dimensions, all of which are necessary to overcome the chronic quality of anxiety and depression.
If
you are looking to make changes that last, then please call me and set up an initial phone consultation, so we can see if or how I can best be of service.
Marty L. Cooper, MFT
415.835.2162
martycooper@mlcooper.com
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