There are a lot of different definitions of therapy out there, as well as many different approaches, styles and philosophies. That said, at the core of any therapy is the idea that a healthy, non-judgmental relationship between the therapist and the client can strengthen and improve the client’s relationship with themself. When your therapist sits with you and deeply listens, holding space for all parts of you (including the sad, angry and messy parts), you can learn to do the same for yourself. To turn towards yourself with love and kindness, to soften the way you talk to yourself, and to trust that if you let them, difficult feelings come and go more easily. This is why the “fit” between client and therapist is so important. Time and time again, research on the efficacy of therapy shows that the sense of being fully understood and “felt” by a therapist is the most important factor in how beneficial therapy is for clients.

The strong relationship between the client and therapist is the foundation that allows the client to learn, practice and integrate new skills to navigate relationships and tend to difficult feelings. Different modalities and styles of therapy teach these skills in different ways, but all therapy includes an aspect of learning to navigate emotions more skillfully.

So, what does this all mean for you as our client? At Starling Family Services, we listen, relate, play, joke, hold space, and ask big questions, all in service of creating the relationship through which our client’s healing will take place. We also teach a wide variety of skills, depending on client preference and need, such as mindfulness, somatic awareness, cognitive challenging, distress tolerance and affect regulation. As therapists we are versatile, flexible and multi- disciplinary in our approaches.

Maybe you’ve never been in therapy before, or had a bad experience with counseling in the past. We will do our best to hear and meet your needs and if we don’t have the right fit therapist for you here we will gladly provide you with a robust list of referrals.