Bruce Howard

Every person entering therapy has their unique history and story and the course of therapy is tailored for each person. In my clinical experience, however, the principles of healthy and effective functioning are universal and require a therapy that helps us to integrate the physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimension of our functioning. As example, with anxiety there is an absence of healthy breathing (physiological) that maintains a chronic sense of danger. A lack of healthy breathing also dislocates us from our feelings and the vital internal support they provide. Additionally, when we do not have an emotionally attuned parent or caregiver during our development, painful feelings must be suppressed or repressed and this also results in an internal sense of danger or anxiety as we have not learned how to identify, express, regulate, and cope with these feelings. In the course of our development and early relationships, we can form unhealthy belief systems about ourselves, how others see us, and the world; " I am not competent," " I am not lovable," "I am not worthy of getting my needs met," "People will wind up hurting me," "I will always get the short end of the stick in life." In looking at our history and the source of these beliefs their credibility is called forth to be challenged, modified , and replaced with new and healthy beliefs. Finally, as painful feelings are integrated, and unhealthy belief systems are challenged and replaced, we need to experiment with new behaviors in the world and with others. In so doing, the positive response we receive will confirm for us that change is not only possible but real.