Hello- My name is Rome Alexander, and I am a licensed therapist in Minnesota, with over 20 years of professional experience in helping those that are struggling with the conditions of various situations such as: anxiety and depressions, issues of sudden or prolonged grief, Post-Traumatic Stress, and/or other psychological traumas such as those that may occur in childhood, adolescence, or adult situations.
While it is true that any person, for their own part, does need at first to have at least some small individual wanting for the possible choices and changes that are needed in order to have a better life experience, so very, very often some shared good humor certainly also does help in the planning and implementing of all of the "getting there" that happens along the way. In my therapy I do try at times to find safe and appropriate humor in the moment, so that the whole process can be maybe more manageable, and also way less fearful. So, what I am saying to you is this: while you must make your own good and informed choices in therapy, the steps you then take to make your life better do not have to necessarily always be perceived as grim as you learn to walk to a better place. Also, sometimes in a life, there is some baggage that has accumulated that needs to be dealt with first, before deeper, more lasting changes can be considered. The process of therapy may have some challenging moments for sure, but one does not have to expect to fully relive past pain (there's already been enough of that) as one moves toward psychological growth.
As I am a seasoned practitioner, I will apply all my experience and skills to help you to most accurately define the nature of your problems, and then will speak clearly as I assist you in creating realistic plans for the achieving of your goals.
Most people approach therapy to address immediate situations or problems that are felt to have become intolerable or overwhelming. A therapist most often must deal with these issues first, before any deeper changes can be made by the individual, in order to create a longer lasting and better overall ability to be more resilient in the future.
I frequently work with individuals who have experienced any of the various types of psychological trauma.