I am a Harvard-trained, licensed psychology professional in private practice. I am largely retired, though I continue to care deeply for individuals and the practice of psychology. I conduct occasional short-term work and immigration-related evaluations.
My practice is located in a quiet area in the Hudson River Valley of New York. Since clinical work is done via telehealth I can work with anyone who has a secure internet connection. The telehealth platform is secure, easy to use, and HIPAA-compliant. It feels almost as though we are talking in the same room.
My practice is based on research about real people, like you, making positive change in their lives. I use this research to tailor our work to the change you want and the strengths you have. These are my core assumptions about therapy:
- Clients already possess much of what they need to make the changes they want.
- Psychotherapy often builds or restores one’s inner compass or sense of self.
- When therapy is working well, clients know it fairly soon: they begin to feel better about themselves and their lives
- One study summarized 475 studies of the outcome of therapy. It found that the average person who completed therapy was better off than 80% of comparable people who did not receive therapy. Careful combinations of other studies, called meta-analyses, have produced the same findings (i, iii).
- Psychotherapy's level of effectiveness is equal to having a pacemaker to prevent fainting from heart malfunction (ii).
- Psychotherapy is 6 times more effective than using beta-blockers to prevent re-admission to the hospital for heart failure (ii).
- Psychotherapy is 3 times more effective than bone-marrow transplants to prevent relapse or death from leukemia (ii).
- Psychotherapy is 59 times more effective than taking aspirin to prevent a major cardiovascular event (ii).
WHY YOU MAY CONSIDER THERAPY
At some times in our lives, many adults and children feel stuck or feel unsatisfied. We may have close relationships that are difficult -- relationships with family, friends, work colleagues, even with ourselves. Many of us have woken up thinking, "Something needs to change. But how?"
Anxiety, behavior problems, constant worry, sadness, depression, or loneliness may be part of being stuck or unsatisfied. For some of us, at some times, these issues can become a fairly constant part of life. It may seem as though things will never change. One client said it like this:
"Most of the time I am organized and competent. I get things done. But sometimes I seriously procrastinate. I can't seem to change the procrastinating part of me, it makes trouble for me, and I am tired of it. I came to therapy because I want to change the procrastinating part of me."
Sometimes smaller problems become bigger when other things go wrong -- when there is another change in our life, like the end of an important relationship, a job change, a child leaving home, or after a traumatic event. For example, clients have said:
- "I've never been able to feel close to some people in my family. It really bothers me."
- "Some hard things have happened to me, and I think they are causing trouble in my life."
- "I love my kids and my wife (or husband) very much, but sometimes we just don't get along."
- "I am worried about some of my child's behaviors."
- "My child might have PTSD (or anxiety, depression, or obsessions)."
- To lessen the problems that a hard childhood, grief, or communication problems have been causing in their adult lives
- Better behaved, happier children -- and to feel happier as a parent
- To help their child after divorce, trauma, or another difficult experience
- A better understanding of how to raise an unusual child
- A formal evaluation for possible abuse, developmental concern, or attachment
At times, some part of our personality may have been forced out of its valuable roles by trauma or by problems in our families (iv). Many individuals come to therapy because one or more parts of their lives have become stuck in some way that they want to change. They may have tried other solutions, and now they want to talk things over. Something in their lives is not comfortable or is not working as well as they would like it to work.
In fact, each part of our personality can have a valuable role. Using insight and practical tools, therapy can teach us to use our whole self constructively.
REFERENCES
(i) Smith ML, Glass GV, Miller TI. (1980). The benefits of psychotherapy. Baltimore: John Hopkins University
(ii) http://www.cebm.utoronto.ca/glossary/nnts.htm#table See http://www.cebm.utoronto.ca/glossary/nnts/car.htm . Effectiveness is calculated by comparing the Number Needed to Treat for psychotherapy, compared to the NNT of selected medical interventions in the general tables on NNT.
An effect size is a measure of the difference between the mean of the treatment group, and the mean of the control group. Here, it is a standard deviation. Thus, an effect size of .85 means that there is .85 of a standard deviation between the mean of the control and treatment groups.
(iii) Lipsey MW, & Wilson DB. (1993) The efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment: Confirmation from meta-analysis. Amer Psychologist: 48 1181-1209
(iv) R. Schwartz (2007).
email: DrEliseBonRudin@gmail.com
All Content: Copyright 2008 Elise Bon-Rudin, Ed. D.
