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THERAPY
INDIVIDUAL - COUPLES - FAMILY
Usually, by the time a person comes to therapy, “simple” solutions have already been tried and have not worked. Thus, therapy begins by taking time to fully understand you and the situation; oftentimes, this process is not only evaluative, but helpful as you may realize something new about yourself or come to see yourself and the situation with increased compassion and curiosity. Once you and your therapist have developed a shared understanding of what you are struggling with and why, your therapist will discuss with you how therapy can help create change (and if therapy is not best suited to address the issues, help you find alternative solutions). This process looks different for every person. We believe that it is important that your therapist continually check that therapeutic interventions are helpful, and adapt therapy to what will work best for you. Thus, part therapy will include discussing how therapy is feeling, whether it appears to be helping, how the therapeutic relationship feels, and any ways that we can improve the therapy.
Research has continually demonstrated that the single best predictor of positive outcomes from therapy is the working alliance between the client and therapist. In other words, that the therapist and client are a good "fit" and, together, create a therapeutic environment in which the client is able to be vulnerable and show up as their authentic self while working collaboratively with the therapist to change in a meaningful way.
While all of our therapists hold similar values in terms of taking a lively, curious, and relational approach to therapy, we have different personalities, attributes, and specialties. We encourage you to read more about our providers as you consider who might be the best fit for you.
A NOTE ABOUT COUPLES THERAPY
Difficultly with trust and conflict resolution often drives couples to therapy. This can include challenges creating intimacy in the relationship, regular arguments which leave people feeling under-loved or unappreciated, and infidelity. With couples, we find it especially important to first clarify partners’ differing views on what is causing problems in the relationship. Oftentimes, these problems make themselves visible during therapy, which provides an opportunity for all of us to explore what is happening for each person, the intent of each partner, and misinterpretations that are occurring. While providing education on issues like communication and healthy relationships can sometimes be helpful, we generally find that the most effective therapies are ones which get "messy" during the therapeutic space. The more you can "show me" what goes askew, the more likely we'll be able to help.
A NOTE ABOUT CHILD AND FAMILY THERAPY
Children who are struggling emotionally often have difficulty expressing what they need. When a child is struggling, they may show it by "acting out" or by withdrawing; you may also noting that your child is behaving differently but are unsure why. Child therapy can be particularly helpful to young children in expressing and processing their emotions, as well as in learning to express their needs.
Especially with young children, including the entire family in therapy is often helpful. If you are unsure if you need child vs. family therapy, the answer may be "both." Sometimes, this is best done by a single therapist working with the whole family system; other times, we may recommended multiple therapists. If you have questions, please contact us to discuss your unique needs and circumstances.
For adolescents, it is often valuable for them to have a space to share their emotions and experiences which is private from their family. At the outset, it is important that there is a conversation with the whole family about how privacy will be handled, including times when it is important that the therapist notify parents and areas in which the parents agree to allow their teenager a confidential space.
Family therapy can be conducted with caretakers and children, as well as amongst any combination of adult family members (i.e., adult siblings, parents and adult children, etc). Please note that, due to licensing requirements, all family members must be located in a state in which the therapist is currently licensed. In other words, if one person is in MA and another is in NY, then the therapist must be licensed in both MA and NY. At present, out providers have licenses in MA and CO only.
Alicia Hanifin, M.A. specializes in working with children (age 8+) and adolescents. You can learn more about her here.
Dr. Sarah Lukens does not provide therapy to adolescents under the age of 15.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND LOGISTICS
HOW LONG DOES THERAPY TAKE?
Therapy can take various amounts of time depending on the severity and complexity of the issues, as well as how long standing or deep-seated they are. While we can try to provide an estimate of how long therapy may take, this is often difficult to determine from the outset of treatment.
That being said, we do not believe that therapy should last forever! It is common to do therapy for awhile, resolve the issues that initially brought you to therapy, and then, perhaps years later, begin a new chapter of therapy when new concerns arise.
In-Person vs. Telehealth
We currently offer both in-person and telehealth therapy in Massachusetts. Dr, Lukens also provides telehealth therapy to clients located in Colorado.
There are pros and cons to both in-person and telehealth options. Both have been demonstrated to be beneficial, but many people find that one modality works better for them. Teletherapy offers the convenience of not having to commute, and the ability to do therapy in a place that is accessible and comfortable for you. However, time spent commuting can also be valuable as many people find that it provides structured time to self-reflect before and after sessions. Interpersonal connection is often more intense while in person; for some people this is very useful, but some people who tend to be overwhelmed socially it can be useful to have a bit more distance, at least to start.
Many people do not have the option to come to in-person therapy. In that case, telehealth provides a convenient alternative. If you are able to come in person, then we can explore which modality will be best for you. People who can come in-person may also elect to do a hybrid of some in-person sessions and some telehealth to maximize the benefits of both.