With Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
Therapy — your commitment to you!
As you can imagine, many people cringe at the idea of going to see a Therapist or Counselor. There are so many old myths, it is probably impossible to dispel them all. One of the big ones, “only crazy people see a therapist”, unfortunately stops many people from seeking the help to make the changes they desire. Well, let me inform you that this is unequivocally untrue. Crazy is a term that people in my profession dislike intensely. And, if you came up through the social work route like I did, then you really dislike that punitive label. Most people who enter my office struggle with the same things that we all do. They struggle in knowing what to do with their life, in how to get a good relationship, in stopping an addiction involving themselves or a loved one, in facing the ending of a long marriage, in understanding how to cope with the loss of a loved one, in learning to set boundaries to take care of themselves, and in setting goals and acting on then. Mostly, we all come to find someone to help us rid ourselves of the negative thoughts and behaviors that are affecting our lives and keeping us stuck. We come to detangle and change many aspects of our lives that are causing us stress, thereby impacting our quality of life. But most importantly removing the stress allows us to feel excited, inspired & joyful about what lies ahead.
The “Restoration of Hope” is what many come to seek. In my opinion, hope returns when you feel in charge of your life and in your ability to navigate it towards the direction you desire. We are a nation of over-scheduled, over-stimulated and overly stressed out people. Too often we are paddling to keep our heads above water, rather than swimming with a purpose towards some desired goal. Therapy and Coaching are all about clearing out the clutter of your mind, getting off your own back, forgiving yourself for “whatever”, learning to trust that you are deserving of all good things and getting the help and support to begin to make real changes. Relax. This is something everybody deals with on some level. It’s pretty straight forward. Therapy is your commitment to you. This is your commitment to once and for all to dump these heavy burdens, take a deep breath and then head out on a course to begin navigating the life your heart actually desires.
“You Can Have That!”, is a belief I work to instill in all those I see in my office. I know because I have that too. I have a wonderful relationship for the past 10 years filled with all the love, security and support possible. I have a charming, character-ridden Arts & Crafts bungalow type home in the city, I have a terrific flower garden (for which I am very proud) and I now get to dabble in my craft of cooking, ever-surprised at my seemingly restaurant caliber dishes. It’s my painting. Life is finally centered, balanced and moving forward; for which all of these concepts create positive, anti-stress feelings of sweet restfulness. Well, I had to get there too. Fortunately, then, I understand the path to getting there as well. This is a very important qualification in my humble opinion. Also, it is essential you choose someone with whom you are a good fit in terms of an ease in talking and overall comfort level. When a therapist has done his/her own work it makes a difference in their ability to guide you down the right path.
Take some time to think about making a “Commitment to You”.
Christine Kniffen, LCSW is a Therapist and Relationship Coach. For a free consultation, call 314-374-8396.
Now Accepting Insurance, (see website for more info) www.ChristineKniffen.com.