Diane G. Denning, Ph.D. LMFT

she/her/hers

An important element in any therapy is to create a safe, comfortable space for the client or clients.  During our meetings I hope clients can explore whatever issue, idea, feeling, or experience they have. The goal is to develop a better self-understanding and a greater centeredness in the good they have within them.

I see therapy as a way of coming to understand our journey in life, having our journey make sense.  I hope to foster a better understanding of a client’s relationship, social interactions, internal feelings and passions. When we feel good within ourselves and centered, we accept the goodness of ourselves, we are able to share that with others in friendships, family life, and romantic life and work life.

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual.  In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session.  Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development.

It is important to understand that your therapy will be more effective if you actively participate in the process.  The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life.  Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions I may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process – such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals. Generally, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives and take responsibility for their life.

While I am an eclectic therapist in the sense that I try to encompass all that I have learned in my work with people, I also approach each person anew, with presence and mindfulness. Some of the tools that I bring to therapy are client-centered therapy, emotion-focused brief therapy, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness.