Ruth Garrott, Psy.D.
617-642-3193
therapy@ruthgarrott.com
Deciding to see a therapist takes courage. It isn’t easy to look at your relationships, at your feelings, and at your life, and decide that something needs to change.
There are two pieces of good news, though. One is that sometimes, just the decision to start therapy itself can help people feel better. I think that’s because you know that you’ve already taken a real action which will help you to deal with your problems-- that there is hope, and that you have the power to make a change which will help things get better.
The other piece of good news is that therapy works. It’s different for different people, but studies* show that a very high percentage of people are able to use therapy to make real changes in their moods, their relationships with other people, and the way they see/feel about themselves.
Though it’s not easy, I’ve seen my clients climb out of depression, learn new ways to deal with their past traumas, and face anxieties they thought were undefeatable. I’ve helped my clients to graduate from school, live with debilitating illnesses, and handle both work stress and unemployment with grace. Together, we’ve explored what love means, either to get people through the aftermath of break-ups or to solve problems in relationships and make the relationships stronger. My clients gain the strength to stay true to their own identities, even when some of them face pressure from their families and societal expectations. Maybe best of all, they learn to see their deepest selves, and to find ways to accept what they discover there.
I can’t promise that our work together will always be easy, or that we’ll be able to completely fix every one of your problems. What I can promise is that when you come to me, you will find a place where you, your feelings, your pain, your strengths, and your story are welcome.
* Brownawall, A. and Kelley, K. (2011) “Psychotherapy is Effective and Here’s Why” Monitor on Psychology. October 2011, Vol 42, No. 9
Knekt et al. (2015) "Randomized trial on the effectiveness of long- and short-term psychotherapy on psychosocial functioning and quality of life during a 5-year follow-up." Psychiatry Research. September 30th, Vol. 229, Issues 1-2, p. 381-388 http://www.psy-journal.com/article/S0165-1781%2815%2900434-5/abstract?cc=y=
Seligman, M. (1995) “The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports Study.” American Psychologist, December 1995. Vol. 50, No. 12, 965–974 http://horan.asu.edu/cpy702readings/seligman/seligman.html
Wampold, Bruce E. (2007) “Psychotherapy: The humanistic (and effective) treatment.”
Please check out the "Links and Resources" page for resources particularly for clients who are LGBT, trans, polyamorous, practice BDSM, and/or geeks and gamers. Though not all my clients are members of these subcultures, I am knowledgeable and welcoming of them. If you're part of one of these groups, I'll be happy to work with you on what you want to change (and not try to change anything you don't), and to explore how your identity can give you strength and support.