JON REEVES, PhD
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
LONELINESS
WHY THERAPY?
Loneliness is a particularly difficult experience. You feel disconnected from others. You yearn for someone to really get you. Yet, it feels too risky or even impossible to make this happen. It seems like loneliness is getting more painful, and more common, in our hyper-connected world. If you feel lonely, you are (perhaps ironically) joined by millions of others.
Is loneliness serious? Yes.
Loneliness is a risk factor for your physical health—people without warm connections die sooner, have shorter healthy life spans, and develop the diseases of middle age younger. They go to the doctor more regularly and are more likely to smoke. Loneliness is a risk factor for your mental health--lonely people are more depressed, anxious, and endorse suicide more frequently.
Loneliness is not only miserable now, but it can also impact your future.
THERAPY FOR LONELINESS?
As your therapist, I can connect with you myself and help you foster the relationships that are missing. A therapist is no substitute for a rich social network—that is not what I am offering. However, a therapist can provide an initial interpersonal connection that will help you develop the skills, affect, emotional awareness, and sociability that can help you build the type of deeply satisfying social network that will rid you of loneliness.
Therapy with me is a relational process. There is no judgment. There are no expectations. It is designed to be a safe place where you can finally talk about things. Finally connect. Finally not feel lonely.
I promise to be caring and curious, and together, we can help you not feel lonely. Stop suffering.