Psychodynamic Therapists in Flourtown, PA

Anxiety, depression, anger, and low self-esteem are issues that can be overwhelming. I help clients to identify the factors that contribute to these issues, and then assist in formulating a plan to reduce the symptoms and resolve the problems. I provide a warm, nonjudgmental environment to address these concerns. Additionally, I am experienced in working with individuals and couples struggling with relationships and/or parenting. Parenting can be wonderful, but also extremely challenging. Relationships can falter. These situations can bring up unexpected thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to share with friends and family.

I have worked as a Clinical Social Worker in a variety of settings for thirty years since receiving a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. I have been employed as a therapist in private practice for the past fifteen years. I treat a diverse client population of adults, adolescents, couples and families. I see individuals aged sixteen and up with phase of life issues, such as adjustment to young adulthood. I treat depression and other mood disorders, anxiety and panic disorders and relational problems.

Let's check in for a moment. Are you overwhelmed by stress, life transitions, and past unhealed wounds? Are you exhausted from the ongoing fight against social injustices? Or maybe you’re unsure what’s happening, but you know something feels “off.” Therapy is a valuable tool for holding space for your suffering, determining the roots of your pain, and developing new techniques to make meaningful life changes that support your mental health.

I get it. You've been wanting to make a change for a while, but it's exhausting just to think about taking on another thing. It's a chore just to manage all the day to day stuff of work and family and making everything run smoothly; much less eating healthy, going to the gym, working on relationships, AND going to regular therapy sessions! It's a spiral that's so easy to get lost in and it's hard to find a foothold to steady yourself and find a way out. Therapy CAN offer that foothold; some guidance to help figure out how to feel peaceful and content with your life, and have the energy to do things that make you feel fulfilled.

My passion and belief is individuals and families possess their own innate ability to heal when underlying causes are identified and inner resources are strengthened. My family focused approach to treatment views the child/adolescent/adult as part of a family system. The treatment approach I use to best fit your individual or family needs may incorporate sand tray, Family-Play therapy, cognitive behavior techniques, stress-reduction strategies, EMDR, Trauma Art Narrative Therapy and Filial Family Therapy. I provide a safe and supportive environment for children, adolescents and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss.

I have decades of experience helping individuals. I see therapy as an opportunity to take the time to care for yourself, to find new ways of coping and to grow out of whatever place you may feel stuck in. I have felt privileged over the years to help many people with this journey.

The essence of therapy is to free the present from the past. Together, we can see how issues from your childhood, can be blocking your present-day well-being. This understanding will give you the tools to move beyond the stuck places, and to live more fully in the present. Motivation increases, and change becomes possible, furthering positive growth, with my ongoing support. A thorough assessment, allows the therapy to focus on strategies for change.

Are you a parent of a struggling TEEN who needs support or a young adult who feels stuck and unsure of your path? I can help! I never forgot what it is like to be a teen, and I am a mother to 3 of my own. I also know grief, anxiety, and depression. I understand what is like to be out of the box and find a place in the world. I am unique, as are my techniques. I believe laughter should find its place even in the darkest places and weave humor wherever it may fit. I am also well versed in all methods, such as CBT, DBT, ACT, etc., but the connection between therapist and client is essential for growth.

My clients describe me as warm, engaging, thoughtful and funny, but also as direct, challenging, and focused; seeking out the hard and stuck places in their approach to living and loving. I don't try to convince my clients that life is easy or carefree, but I do believe a lot of contentment with life and acceptance of the self can be found when we face and come to terms with our truths. Unlike many folks offering therapy services, I have engaged in extensive education and training, in analytically informed psychotherapy, which I belief enriches and deepens the work.

As a licensed psychologist, board certified clinical hypnotherapist and medical psychotherapist, I have been in private practice for 30 years in center city Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill,Pa. I am primarily Jungian, feminist, and cognitive/behavioral in orientation and use a blend of whatever suits the person and situation. My specialties include relationships, depression and anxiety/panic, self-esteem. trauma, and life transitions. I am widely published, formerly on staff at the Belmont Center and at Hahnemann and Temple Universities.The goal is to diminish negative symptoms and patterns, facilitate individuation, find your path and personal meaning in life, at work and in relationships.

I have been privileged to work alongside people of all ages, races, and beliefs, which has offered me the advantage of a wide perspective on life. One of my main goals is to help you integrate the solutions we discover in session into your daily life. I have dedicated my professional life to gaining the skills to partner with you, so you can feel excited and encouraged to consider your life and all its purposes with confidence with renewed happiness. I look forward to connecting and answering any initial questions you may have, as you choose your next healing steps!

Concerns related to sex and intimacy are some of the most sensitive and personal. Experiencing sexual concerns, such as low sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, pelvic pain, or difficulty with orgasm no longer has to be secretive or embarrassing. Finding a therapist who is open, supportive, and has effective tools is imperative on the journey to satisfaction and pleasure. Using a Cognitive Behavioral & collaborative approach, I work with individuals or couples to help them further understand the concerns that effect them, their relationships, & their sexual functioning.

Dr. Michael R. Bridges is a licensed psychologist and former associate professor & director of psychological services at Temple University. He was also an assistant professor & director of an inpatient Dialectical Behavior Unit at UNC-Chapel Hill & an adjunct professor in Family & Couples Therapy at Jefferson University. He has done research & published in professional journals on how people resolve painful issues in therapy related to attachment injuries in their past such as betrayals in relationships and childhood trauma. He is sought out by other psychotherapists for supervision and consultation. He is also the therapist that other therapists turn to for therapy.