Welcome to Creative Narrative Counseling & Coaching, LLC. I want to commend you for having the courage to reach out for help.
Perfectionism-having the belief that everything that we do must be perfect, otherwise...we are not good. We strive for perfectionism out of the fear of failure, criticism, or rejection. Perhaps you believe that you must show up perfect in the workplace, perfect in your marriage or relationship, perfect in your parenting, perfect in your friendships, etc. When you strive to be "perfect," it allows you to set impossible goals that are not achievable, which leds to you feeling like you're not good enough when you can't reach them. This can lead to negative thought patterns that makes you feel uncomfortable emotions, such as anxious and depressed, which can lead to behaviors of isolation from others, no longer enjoying a social life, not being able to focus, etc. This begs the question, "Who are you?" What would happen if you gave up some of the control and allowed yourself to strive for excellence? This will allow you to recognize that you have strengths and limitations, which will allow you to set challenging, but achievable goals for yourself.
I use an eclectic approach (I utilize evidence-based modalities) grounded in psychodynamic therapy to help my clients gain insight and make meaningful, lasting change. My goal is to help you explore and challenge your current beliefs to influence thought, emotional, and behavioral changes. You will learn how to set boundaries with yourself, and others, to prevent self-sabotaging behaviors. Most importantly, you will learn how to become unapologetic and empowered as you become more accepting of yourself and your abilities. I focus heavily on teaching my clients how to become more self-compassionate, which allows you to turn inward and treat yourself as a priority.
In therapy, we will co-create a space for the whole parts of who you are, even the parts of yourself that may scare you or make you feel ashamed, due to you being extra critical of yourself and striving for perfectionism and not excellence. You will learn how to perceive yourself as someone who has both strengths and limitations, and not as someone who is superhuman and not prone to human error. I deeply respect and honor your decision to seek help in moving towards a fuller, richer life, and I'm looking forward to speaking with you.
"Seeing a therapist does not mean that something is wrong with you. It simply means that you may need help seeking clarity in some areas of your life. You may want to work through some traumatic experiences or challenging emotions, you may want to learn how to change your negative pattern of thinking and behaving, you may want to learn how to respond to difficult situations, you may want to learn how to be more confident, you may want to grow personally, and much more!"
-Shanta Milner, LPC, NCC
Contact me today for a FREE15 minute consultation so that I can answer any question or concerns that you may have.