What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is also known as counseling or talk therapy, or sometimes just “therapy.” Psychotherapy is a medical and psychological treatment that can heal emotional distress, relieve psychiatric symptoms, and help people function better in their daily lives. Over weeks, months, or longer, scheduled conversations with a qualified therapist allow a patient to gain self-awareness that leads to positive change and personal growth, so that she can ultimately lead her most loving, peaceful and gratifying life.

The quality of the relationship between patient and therapist is very important; without a safe, respectful and compassionate connection, psychotherapy can’t be effective. Dr. Bibeault is happy to assist you in finding the right therapist, whether it’s herself or someone else.

Here are just a handful of the common life challenges that Dr. Bibeault treats in individual psychotherapy (there are many, many more - consult with the doctor if you have questions about whether her expertise is a good fit for your particular struggles):

• Lack of communication skills or assertiveness; perhaps you have difficulty valuing or asking for what you need.
  
  
• Relationship problems & other interpersonal distress; you may be questioning your marriage, or find your friendships too few, too intense, or too one-sided.
  
  
• Confused feelings about sexuality, or difficulty being emotionally and physically intimate.
  
  
• Loneliness & isolation; becoming comfortable in your own skin and comfortable with others.
  
  
• Coping with chronic shame and self-doubt.
  
  
• Adjustment to the emotional experiences of motherhood; does everyone else seem like a happier, more competent mother? Do you feel confused by the intense, conflicting feelings you have toward your child?
  
  
• Becoming an effective parent and forming healthy relationships with your children; you may feel overwhelmed by parenting, unhappy with your children’s patterns of behavior, or unsure about how to connect with your children.
  
  
• Coping with grief & loss; you may feel empty and alone, and need help finding purpose and joy in your life again.
  
  
• Deciding whether to have children.
  
  
• Overcoming feeling ‘stuck” and lost as you try to decide who you are and where you’re going in life.
  
  
• Feeling helpless and powerless in the face of life’s problems; psychotherapy can empower you to find healthy coping skills and restore hope.