Kimberly Telesh

I weave CBT throughout psychotherapy. I think its one of the orientations that gives clients tangible direction. Many times people (myself included!) feel like they've cried and talked and nothing feels better- CBT gives you those daily exercises to practice and helps you feel you are being proactive. I also use DBT techniques (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) for clients interested a more structured, workbook focused therapy.

I think like a lot of therapists, I wanted to know why I felt they way I did (BTW I do think therapists who say "I wanted to help people" really mean they wanted to help themselves first). I had an early knack for being the supportive, "cheerleader" person, and soon learned I really enjoyed (and was good at) the science, problem-solving and analysis that psychotherapy requires. I am a staunch believer in if you want to be an effective therapist, you have to have some kind of grip on yourself first- not to be perfect (we are all human, with all the trappings of what that means- no one is immune from the thing we call "life"), but to practice what you preach. I don't want to go to a mechanic who personally owns a bunch of broken cars. So I really don't want to go to a therapist that doesn't implement their own skills, or who doesn't know what its like to be a client.

I would tell them "just do it"! I know how hard it is to make that call. Its common that by the time someone is calling for therapy, they should have called months ago! There have been two times in my life where my support system had to tell me to go back to therapy. Even though I knew I was struggling, I put off (or avoided) calling my therapist. Even professional therapists think they don't need help, I can handle this, this will go away/I just need time or (more to the point) I don't want to talk about it. The first time was when I had two miscarriages and didn't even realize how depressed I was. The second was when both my parents passed away within three months. I credit my therapist with giving me the tools, the space to process, the time and understanding to heal and grow, to be better, feel better, and be more effective personally and professionally.

My personality and therapy style is straightforward and very matter of fact. I prefer to simplify things, break them down into usable pieces so that the building blocks of progress are easier to see and feel.

Addictions exist for a reason- usually some protective or defensive purpose, and they are meaningful and important. When working with addiction, I find it helpful to use Motivational Interviewing and Harm Reduction techniques initially. These help provide support, determine what stage of change a person is in, and gives the client a bit of a road map towards exercising some control. I have found that addiction is so multi-faceted, and is experienced differently by everyone that its important to understand what specific purpose the addiction is serving for you. And whatever is fueling the addiction is the ultimate kernel that will hopefully be revealed.

I have worked with the continuum of clients with Bipolar Disorder- everything from clients looking to manage without medication to clients trying to put their lives back together after a serious, traumatic (typically manic) episode that damaged many areas of their lives. Bipolar is a complicated disorder and everyone is different in how they experience their mood changes, its impact on their lives and what their goals are, as well as what other factors are involved that make managing their moods more challenging (I've had clients with Bipolar Disorder and addiction, are transitioning, are navigating identity issues, dealing with an eating disorder, and many other compounding issues). The goal is to identify clear priorities for therapy, and these may or may not be driven by having Bipolar Disorder. Everyone is unique!