Starting in Infancy

Individuals begin in infancy and early childhood to work at adapting to their interpersonal world, and this continues throughout life. People develop beliefs to maintain ties to early caregivers. It is in the context of the therapeutic relationship that these long-held beliefs can be modified and changed.

A composite client, Tom, grew up with a depressed mother and an emotionally absent father who, when he was home, did not pay much attention to him. Tom developed the beliefs that he had little to no value in relationships and that his needs were not important and did not deserve to be met.

Tom worked in Control Mastery Therapy (CMT) to disconfirm his unhealthy beliefs and gain insight into the circumstances in which they originated. Eventually, he was able to break free from these constricting beliefs and experience more enjoyment in his life.

Control Mastery Therapy

I practice a positive and humanistic form of psychotherapy called CMT, developed by two psychoanalysts from San Francisco, Joseph Weiss and Hal Sampson.

In CMT, people work to develop the ability to identify unconscious, constricting beliefs, to test the validity of these beliefs, and to gain mastery of their beliefs. CMT can help clients overcome the ways in which their beliefs interfere with the pursuit of normal and desired healthy goals in life.

The CMT theory states that psychological problems stem from pathogenic beliefs (deeply held, grim, core beliefs about ourselves and the world that interfere with normal healthy developmental aims and goals such as autonomy, success, intimacy, competition, happiness, love). These basic beliefs were acquired in traumatic relational experiences in childhood.

These beliefs tell individuals that it is dangerous to pursue certain important goals, and therapy is a process in which clients work to change these beliefs through experiences with the therapist as well as through insight and knowledge gained in therapy.

As your therapist, my job is to formulate your inherent beliefs, goals, and plans for working in therapy and to pursue your goals. I will help guide you through a process of therapy to free yourself from these constricting, unhealthy beliefs.

Let me help you move forward with your life…

Please call me (415) 888-8084 or text me. Complete the form below. Reach out; take my helping hand.