Dr. Claire Karam - Denver Colorado Counselor

"only by becoming more conscious can one truly tend to one's own psychic ills." C. W. Jung

TREATMENT MODALITIES

Depth Pychology

I practice what is called depth psychology. It is not a quick fix or a band-aid approach to psychological problems. Although quick fixes can provide temporary relief, the problem is often not resolved and returns to haunt one again, with similar or even quite different symptoms presenting themselves. This happens because the problem was never worked through and resolved at its core.

The depth psychological approach to therapy looks to the unconscious to alert us to what lies hidden beneath the surface of our conscious minds, but is determining our behavior or thoughts or feelings. We experience the unconscious in many ways, such as through emotional symptoms like depression or anxiety, through physical ailments or health problems, through dreams or nightmares, or through sleep disturbances, to name a few. Until the unconscious material is brought to consciousness and addressed, it continues to create havoc in our daily lives, and we are helpless to address it.

However, once the unconscious material becomes conscious, we can work with it. We can begin to identify and resolve inner conflicts and confusions that we might not be aware of, we can pay attention to neglected parts of ourselves that demand recognition, and we can clean up the unfinished business of the past, and come to live more in the present moment. As we do this, we leave behind the baggage that has hindered our ability to trust, be close and intimate with others, feel safe in relationships and in the world, and enjoy our lives.

My stance in the counseling sessions is to remain always respectful of the sharing and uncovering of the unconscious material that emerges, to allow its emergence without judgment, and to work together with the client to begin to understand and make meaning out of what seemed to be confusion, contradiction, or chaos. The client and I together form a partnership to discover what is unfolding, and to honor the sacred appearance of everything that emerges.

Once unconscious material becomes conscious, the symptoms often disappear, or at least transform. They are no longer needed to draw attention to areas of distress that require intervention.

Cognitive Reframing and Restructuring

Cognitive therapy is concerned with examining and changing distorted, outdated, or dysfunctional belief systems that operate beneath conscious awareness, yet determine present-day feelings and behaviors. These belief systems create obstructions, feelings of being stuck, or distress and confusion, and hinder our satisfaction and good feelings. What we think and how we think can invoke certain feeling states such as depression or anxiety, and without a deep examination of our thoughts and beliefs, we cannot alleviate the intense feelings that are generated from the thoughts. Often these belief systems were developed in childhood as ways to cope with our environment, and they have carried through to adulthood without ever being questioned or challenged as to their truth or accuracy or even whether they apply in the adult world.

Examples of beliefs that operate to interfere in our lives are self-statements that demean or condemn the self, such as "I'm no good" or "What I do is never good enough" or I'll never.. ..". Other beliefs that hinder achievement of our goals and dreams are extreme beliefs without other options, such as "It's only this way or that way" or "I'm right and she/he is wrong". Judgments about others contain belief systems and values that we are not aware of, yet they determine how we act towards others and towards ourselves.

In couples and partner/relationship counseling, it is critical to unveil the underlying beliefs and values of each person. These beliefs are contributing to miscommunications, lack of understanding, hurt feelings, and distancing behaviors. Closeness and intimacy demand a deep searching and knowledge of ourselves, and development of the skills to communicate that to others.

Once underlying beliefs are discovered and brought to consciousness, they are reframed in light of present day realities. For instance, learning to see oneself and one's efforts as "good enough" can be a major breakthrough for those people who tend to be perfectionists.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is one way to achieve reprocessing and restructuring of belief systems that are obstacles to psychological growth and well-being. It is a technique discovered in the 1990's that was originally used for veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is now used extensively for anxieties, phobias, post traumatic stress symptoms, addictions, and many other distressing ailments.

The technique uses simple rapid eye movement to achieve desensitizing of stressful, anxiety-producing images, and accelerates the reprocessing of new information, or reframed information to reduce significantly stress and anxiety.