Licensed Psychologist #PSY5930
115 W. Arrellaga Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 364-2742
email: rudestam@cox.net
115 W. Arrellaga Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 364-2742
email: rudestam@cox.net
The Practice of Psychotherapy
Most people seek professional help from a psychotherapist or counselor when their usual ways of coping with relationships, life stressors, physical or emotional symptoms, or feelings of despair, loss, or inertia are not sufficient to allow them to achieve their goals or find joy or fulfillment. Psychotherapy can provide a means to explore options, change habits, gain insight and understanding, resolve conflicts, manage fears, or cultivate acceptance, all in the pursuit of appreciating yourself more fully. The laboratory for this work is a safe and confidential relationship between you and your therapist.
As someone who has taught and supervised hundreds of doctoral students in clinical psychology as well as conducted research and published widely in my field I am well aware that no single orientation or approach to psychotherapy is necessarily the best. There are over 500 approaches currently used by psychotherapists and the empirical data are clear that it is certain overarching principles or common factors among them that facilitate positive outcomes. Among these factors are the level of trust in the relationship developed between the therapist and the client, as well as the therapist’s ability to understand the client’s concerns, create hope and optimism, and creatively challenge the client’s assumptions by expanding awareness and facilitating the development of new skills and understandings.
“We are continually faced by great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insolvable problems"