Anne M. Patti, PhD

First, I want to say I believe healing is possible.  That may seem like an obvious statement, particularly from a mental health professional.   But many people do not believe that they can recover from painful life experiences, change unproductive patterns, learn to value and respect themselves, and construct the life they really want.  I have had the privilege to be part of this journey for hundreds of people and have witnessed them recovering from trauma, developing self-esteem and building lives based on approaching what they want rather than avoiding what they fear.

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Many things contribute to our development, including our early life experiences, our genetics and society at large.   I, like most therapists, consider all of these factors when working with a client.  I place particular emphasis on early life experiences and how they affect our sense of self, including our sense of self-worth and self-efficacy, both of which can strongly influence our life decisions.  

 

I work with clients to uncover detrimental patterns that can result from a lack of self-esteem, often seen most clearly in interpersonal relationships.  We will discuss alternative ways to cope and make a plan to change behaviors and thought patterns that may have once been adaptive, in an abusive family for example, but have now proven less useful and too constraining.  I also encourage clients to recognize strengths they may have overlooked and to value  the resiliency and wisdom that often comes from negotiating challenging life circumstances.

 

One of my clear guiding principles is creating a safe place for people to speak openly about their experiences and their feelings without  fear of being judged or invalidated.  For many people, this may be the first time they have been offered this opportunity and it is often one of the most healing aspects of therapy. Although this work can be  difficult for clients at times, it does not need to repeatedly overwhelm them. We will work together to proceed at a pace that provides both resolution as well as respect for your unique healing process.

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