Introducing Myself
My name is Chris L'Esperance, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, California. I have been practicing therapy for about six years, and over the course of that time I have learned a lot about my role as a therapist and about what I can bring to the therapeutic process.
Part of my role as a therapist is to pay attention to patterns in a person’s emotional experience. This has led me to notice themes in the challenges and obstacles that seem to be common and come up consistently in my work with clients. I have also noticed themes in what seems to be most consistently helpful for my clients. There are many different approaches to therapy and ideas about what works best. In my experience, nothing works for everyone. Different approaches and perspectives work for different people. Different people need and want different things from therapy. It is important to me to approach my work with an open mind and humility while continuing to learn, grow and improve my ability to provide the best service I can to my clients. So while themes and patterns will never be universally applicable or relatable for everyone, I have seen enough common ground in people’s experience that I feel that certain topics are worth exploring in a forum like this.
Intentions for this Blog
A big part of what I want to share here are themes I notice in the challenges and obstacles many people face in their lives. Similarly, I want to discuss the guiding principles, concepts, and strategies I consistently find to be most helpful. While psychotherapy is my profession, I am first and foremost a person, and while I am looking forward to sharing some insights from my experiences as a therapist, I also want my voice as a person, a man, a spouse/partner, a friend, family member, and Person of Color to be part of what I share in this space.
Of course, as a therapist it is my legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the clients that I work with. I will not be sharing anything specific from any clients I do or have worked with in the past. I will be focused on the patterns and themes in the challenges I see and what seems to benefit my clients.
One thing I notice with new clients and also in general media, is that therapy is often misunderstood. Part of what I want to share here is my perspective on what therapy is, what it isn’t, and the role therapy can play in a person’s life.
Bringing Myself to this Blog
One of my favorite aspects of being a therapist is the fact that a significant part of the value that I bring to my work is just me being me. I want to bring my own authenticity into my work with clients and also to what I share in this blog. A big part of who I am is rooted in my Native heritage from the Kawaika people, otherwise known by its Spanish name, Laguna Pueblo. As part of the culture and family culture that I grew up in, stories were always an important part of our interactions and relationships. In the Native tradition, storytelling is often how important lessons, wisdom, and knowledge are passed along.
As therapists, we are trained to not impose our own opinions, agendas, or challenges onto our clients, and for good reason. We are facilitators of the therapy process. Our role is not to tell anyone what to do, but rather to support them in finding the right path for themselves as unique human beings. When I first start working with many clients, I often experience them as seeing me as an expert who must have all of my “stuff” together. I have learned over the course of my time as a therapist that clients often like to hear that, like them, I am a human being with my own challenges, obstacles, and patterns of thought and behavior that require work and attention. Occasionally, I like to share my own stories of lessons I have learned that may be relatable to a client’s experience. Similarly, I may bring some stories and lessons into this space as a way of conveying an idea or providing an example, less as an expert and more as a person.
Building Emotional Wellness (Holistic Therapy)
Clients often come in wanting to reduce (negative) emotional symptoms, or to get tools for coping or communication. People usually come to therapy because they want to feel less anxious, less depressed, or they want to argue with their partners or family members less. Reducing symptoms is a part of the work I do with clients. However, what I have found to be a more helpful focus is working towards building emotional wellness, emotional and relational skill-building, and working towards balance, enjoyment, and satisfaction in life. I often notice that this approach helps clients to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, etc. while also working towards more satisfaction and richness in their mental, emotional, and relational experiences. Focusing on emotional wellness is an important part of the therapeutic work that I do with clients and is an important part of what I would like to share in this space.
Social Justice
An important part of what I want to do is to help people humanize themselves in a culture and society where we are constantly being dehumanized. As a Native person, the term decolonization has become very important to me personally. Decolonization is not only important to Native people but to all people who suffer oppression as a result of the colonizing culture of our country and the wider world. It feels important to me as a person and as a professional to fight against dehumanization in all of the forms that it comes in. Dehumanizing people for any reason is wrong. I see it as essential to acknowledge the rampant dehumanization in our history, in our culture, and in our media. Beyond that, it is especially important to me to provide support and encourage empowerment for people who suffer personally as a result of trying to live in a society that oppresses and marginalizes so many people.
Some Final Thoughts for Now
While I am looking forward to sharing some of the things I have found to be important and useful within the therapy process, I want to be clear that I do not see the writing that I share here as a replacement for therapy or the therapeutic process. My hope is that what I share might help people gain a better understanding of what therapy is, what it isn’t, and how it might be useful for you or for a loved one. I appreciate your time in reading this blog, and I hope you can find value in it.
Comments