MY APPROACH TO THERAPY
What guides me is a working hypothesis of how change happens and a set of intentions and values that frame the therapeutic encounter. I believe that human problems are largely relational (including the relationship with self) and are also healed in a particular type of relationship, one that is safe, affirming, and supportive. I view my role as a compassionate and informed guide, co-creating with you a therapy specifically designed to meet your goals and tailored to your unique personality, family, and cultural context. We don’t all hold the same attitudes, values, and desires or see the world and others the same way, so why should your therapy be the same as someone else’s?
I don’t hide behind a professional persona and foster an alive, here-and-now working style. My patients have described me as, “genuine, safe, and humorous.” I invite regular feedback about our work. I want to know, Is this helpful? How is it helpful? If we are working well together, change is inevitable.
My approach is creative, flexible, and, above all, pragmatic. I believe that freedom comes from self-knowledge and self-understanding, awareness of our habitual patterns and tendencies, increased flexibility in our responses, and commitment to our goals and life purpose. My goal is to cultivate courage and I will nudge you to lean into what you fear to move closer to what you want.
Your past is alive in the present—in your style of relating to others (including me) and responding to life stressors—and we don’t need to get bogged down in years of analysis to find ways to feel happier and more hopeful now. I believe that small changes over time can alter the trajectory of one’s life and that healing occurs naturally when obstacles are removed and strengths and competencies are discovered.
It doesn’t matter from which direction we face an issue. Goals can be achieved in many different ways, whether through insight, exploration of feelings, changing thoughts, learning useful skills, or experimenting with new behaviors. I strive to co-discover with you the best entry point to find solutions to the issues that are important to you. I am passionate about helping you in the best way I can.
TRANSLATING THERAPY GAINS INTO LASTING CHANGE IN YOUR OWN LIFE
The goal of treatment is not to become an excellent patient, but to live your own life more fully. Our work is to set the groundwork for self-understandings and behavioral change, and then to find ways to put your hard-earned gains into practice into daily life, improving relationships and focusing more on what is personally fulfilling and meaningful. My goal is to leave you with strategies, skills, and tools that you can use again and again throughout your life.
While good therapy takes time—the amount varying for each person and issue—I want you back fully invested in your life, feeling better, as soon as possible. Of course, the door is always open should the need or desire arise.
I help people with a variety of issues and have a particular interest in:
Anxiety (Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias, Perfectionism, Performance Fears, Insomnia)
Adolescent therapy
Parenting solutions
Young adults launching their own lives
Loss and grief
Existential or spiritual issues
Adjustment to chronic pain syndromes and medical diagnoses
Couples and family therapy
Adjustment to mental illness in a loved one or family member
Contact me by phone (415) 820-1612 or via e-mail rebecca@rebeccajohnsontherapy.com
for a FREE initial 15-minute phone consultation to see if my services are a good fit for you.
