WhAT’s Different about Therapy with Michael Braverman

I do not see a person’s experiences, thoughts and emotions as reducible to biological phenomena. Nor do I see them as reducible to a binary – “well vs. unwell,” “functional vs. non-functional” – binaries are for computers, and we are so much more than that. It is possible to have multiple, seemingly contradictory feelings simultaneously. In fact, I would argue that it is necessary to maximize “mental health.”

It’s OK to be frustrated. It’s OK to be sad. It’s OK to have doubt. Feelings are messengers. We need to listen to what they have to tell us, not try to force them away. 

Do you have a nagging sense of distress, or even despair? Do you feel that your life is devoid of meaning, of purpose, and that there is something missing? Do you wonder what the point is? If this is all there is?

Many approaches to these problems involve pathologizing them - that is, attributing them to something in your brain malfunctioning. My approach is different. I will help you examine what it is you find troubling in your actual life, what you want to be different and how to get there. Maybe you find the monotony of modern urban life to be intolerable. Maybe you have a job that is ostensibly "good," but you hate it. Maybe none of what are commonly viewed as the building blocks of a happy life - career, home ownership, having a partner - are what can make you happy.

Let's work together to figure out what real aspects of your life are making you sick and remove them. Then, we can figure out what's missing, and then add it. I am a licensed clinical social worker and my training teaches me to look at a person in the "social environment," not in a vacuum. Part of my expertise is figuring out how to address your concrete needs. We don't exist solely in our brains, after all.

There are many pieces of the puzzle that is a person's sense of well-being and fulfillment. People need to feel connected to others and to a community, they need satisfying social lives, meaningful work, spiritual meaning, creative outlets, physical exercise and a sense of purpose in general. We can address all these things in the course of therapy.

Don't let anyone convince you that there is just one solution, or no solution. Or any solution, for that matter! Life is not a "problem" to be solved. Let's figure out how you can live your best life, including how you can handle the worst aspects of life. Don't let anyone tell you that you are acting too "entitled." We are all entitled to a meaningful existence. We just sometimes need help figuring out how to get there.