Suzanne Gassner

Background

About Suzanne Gassner

I do talk therapy with adults who have symptoms of depression and/ or anxiety, sometimes who suffer from irrational guilt and/or shame and low self-esteem, problems that usually stem from stress traumas suffered in childhood, adversities directly experienced or family traumas includiing the death, physical or emotional difficulties of family members. I also have an interest in the grim relational expectations and beliefs that clients have that arise from "sibling sorrows", difficulties that siblings suffered or imposed on the client. It's my impression that our field sometimes fails to address sufficiently how difficult problems with brothers and sisters may also impact the adult client's mental life, and these problems may also limit the client from fully enjoying his/her love life, work and creative potential. I work by listening attentively and encouraging the expression of feelings and thoughts; collaborating with my clients to help them gain a greater understanding of their situation, present and past. I aim to buttress my client's self-esteem, hopefulness and resilience, and through discussion, help my clients overcome a sense of false blame and/or unrealistic pessimism and/or helplessness in overcoming their problems. New clients often ask me how active I am. I find that some clients feel safer and more engaged, if I participate actively, whereas others prefer that I encourage them to do most of the talking. I don't believe there is one right answer to this question that applies across clients, but I do find ways to partner with my clients in order to make our relationship as secure as possible, that is to create a relationship that reduces the fears of retraumatization that clients often have, consciously or unconsciously, when they expose themselves to the challenge of beginning psychotherapy.