About
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
Lucia Vail, PhD specializes in helping individuals who struggle with stormy relationships, those who feel lonely or isolated, and those who too often feel frustrated and disappointed. They may have experienced trauma or other early life stress, and may feel anxious and depressed. They may have been diagnosed with mood or personality disorders.
In addition to advanced work in the psychodynamic model, Dr. Vail completed intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and has practiced it extensively since 2005. Usually, Dr. Vail integrates the approaches, helping people look more deeply into how their early experiences may still be playing out in their current thoughts, feelings and actions.
“We often don’t realize how the rules or patterns we learned early in life are still affecting the way we feel, think and act. When we start to recognize those patterns, new possibilities open up.””
IN DR. VAIL'S WORDS
Many people still feel the pain of their early lives, and that pain makes it hard for them to build lives worth living. They may struggle to find belonging, or to figure out their directions in life. Some find themselves stuck in unwanted patterns.
Harmful behaviors, including with eating, drugs / alcohol and self-harm, can be hard to stop. When people try out new actions, they better understand the pull of problem behaviors and make new choices. Understanding and acceptance are essential to the process.
Psychotherapy can help people make meaning of their early experiences and thus take better care of themselves. Psychotherapy can help people create new kinds of relationships.
I welcome people from all backgrounds to my practice, and value the chance to look into how cultural, religious, gender and other factors are contributing to people's joys and sorrows.
Photo by Anida Kleege