About Us

As with any discipline, there are a multitude of approaches and ideological orientations to service provision. One that this practice resonates with is best described through a story:

There was once a wanderer who came upon a river they were unable to cross.  It was too big, too much, and moving far too fast.  Their journey to this point had been quite arduous, and they were very tired.  After all, they had been on this journey seemingly alone for quite some time.  They had no idea what to expect on the other side, all they knew was that others kept telling them that life over there was better in some way.  But it was pointless.  There was no way across.  They were stuck.  This was it.  They had come all this way for nothing.

Just as they were about to lose all hope and concede to staying on their current side of the river, they noticed rafts getting from one side of this river to the other.  The wanderer made their way to the boat house and asked if there were someone who could help them safely navigate their way across, and much to their surprise, there was and they were happy to oblige!  The navigator had but one expectation of the wanderer, however, which was that they had to help row when it was time to row, and relax when it was time to go with the flow.  The navigator was happy to show them they way across, and help row when the water was roughest, but the navigator was insistent that the wander learn to do some of the rowing themselves in case they need to do it on their own in the future.

Along the way, the wanderer and the navigator exchanged stories, experiences, and became quite close.  When they got to the other side, the wanderer asked if the navigator would continue on with them, and bring the raft.  After all, who knows when they might need it again. And what if they forget how to navigate the next river themselves?  What if they didn’t memorize everything they were supposed to?  The navigator smiled gently, and motioned towards the side of the river they had just come from, where there were more wanderers lining up, also looking for assistance crossing. They too wanted the good life that existed on the other side of where they were coming from.

Although painful, the wanderer knew they couldn’t take the raft or their new friend with them. The raft would be heavy, and slow them down.  There were also other wanderers who needed this navigator.  The wanderer had gained much in the short time they had spent with their navigator, and felt some confidence that they could make it just a little bit further on their own for a while.  They could trust themselves just a little bit more than they used to.  Maybe they could even trust others a bit more than they used to.  The navigator reminded the wanderer that there are always those willing to help if they are but willing to ask.  There was no need for the wanderer to keep the raft or the navigator. The wanderer already had already acquired everything needed.

Our approach to therapy is much like this.  We will work together to “get to the other side”, and when we have reached it, it will be time for you to graduate; giving you the chance to try your new skills out on your own.  You can always ask for help again if you need it, but much like carrying a raft around, a therapist can become cumbersome when we are no longer needed.  It is best to send us back to be of service to others until you need us again.