What is Psychotherapy? - Andrea Shaw Psychotherapy

I’m a seasoned psychotherapist with a broad
skillset gathered over 35+ years of practice and learning.

Psychotherapy is a personal process of healing and growth. It’s a path you take to feel better, overcome obstacles, develop greater self-understanding and self-kindness.

Perhaps there’s a relationship obstacle, a transition on the horizon, or a health issue. Perhaps you’re experiencing anxious thoughts or depressed feelings…Anything that pricks like a splinter in your psyche is reason to seek help. Successful psychotherapy will open new perspectives. There is relief in finding answers to what had previously been elusive. Putting pieces together and learning different ways of thinking and behaving are huge stress reducers.
I see this process as a path for coming home to yourself.

My Style

I do my best to help you feel at ease and understood so we can explore what’s most important for you. It’s my hope that from our work you’ll feel better, gain insight, and learn new satisfying behaviors.

My style is warm, direct, and empathic. I am engaged and thoughtful. I do my level best to bring a curious mind to our alliance. I listen carefully to what you share and I’m also attentive to what may not be being said. I see it as my job to help you discern what’s really going on. I value humor and love to laugh together. I’ll offer tools and approaches that we’ll explore. I’ve an eye to encouraging insight and solutions. You can count on me to support and appreciate your strengths and to be objectively on your side.

The good news is most clients feel a gradual lifting of symptoms in the first month and sustained improvement thereafter.

My Clinical Approach

My work is an amalgam of a variety of therapeutic models that allow me to provide a truly individualized treatment approach.
Different therapeutic approaches at my disposal:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
Solution-Focused Therapy
Integrative approaches

Ultimately, my orientation is holistic; we are whole beings with many aspects that inevitably affect each other. My aim is to work with you in the fullness of your individuality and humanity.

Andrea and I have been professional colleagues for thirty years. She’s an experienced, tremendously talented, caring clinician. In fact, she is the therapist’s therapist, meaning her skill is that good. She’s at ease in this, her well-chosen vocation. More than anything, the way she embodies and models kindness and clarity makes change easier for her clients to achieve.

Bob Lincoln, PhD
Clinical Psychologist

Clients

My clients come from all walks of life. Many are professionals, such as physicians, surgeons, attorneys, professors, and executives who may be beginning their careers, in a job transition, caught in a rough patch, or perhaps retiring. Other clients are students, retirees or homemakers who may be feeling stuck or in distress, struggling to find a way through to peace.

Common Issues

Hover over the topics below to learn more.

Relationship Issues

Connection is uniquely life-giving. When you feel disconnected or that something is wrong between you and your partner, a friend, family member, or colleague, that can be painful. Do you feel that you don’t know how to fix what’s wrong or even how to talk about it? Do you wish you had a special someone? Are you yearning for more friends, greater sense of community, or better relations with your family?

Anxiety & Self-Doubt

Anxiety and doubt can interfere with happiness, productivity and peace. Are you worried what others think about you or about what you just said? Do you feel a strong ‘need to please’? Do you overthink, worry a lot, or feel stuck in a cycle of over-analyzing? Do you feel panicky at times and find breathing difficult. Do you have tension headaches, stomach pain when anxious? Do you have trouble making decisions, often second guessing yourself? Do you avoid social situations?

Insomnia

Sleep is foundational, there to nourish and protect us. Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep? Does the thinking gremlin get especially loud when you lie down to rest? Are you preoccupied with sleep and not getting enough of it? Do you wonder how you’ll be able to function tomorrow if you don’t sleep enough tonight? Is one particular problem disturbing your rest or do you find that whenever something uncomfortable happens you can almost count on that to wake you and keep you up in the night?

Stress

Unmanaged stress takes a serious toll on living well. Do you feel emotional strain or heightened pressure in response to demands? Are you stuck feeling like there’s too much to handle? Do you feel trapped, not knowing how to relieve tension? Are your stressors psychological leading you to anxiety, depression, confusion, compulsive behavior, trouble concentrating, or relationship challenges? Do you suffer physical symptoms such as headaches, backaches, jaw tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, or digestive upsets?

Health Concerns & Chronic Health Challenges

It’s imperative that we prioritize health. Are you noticing changes in your health that have you worried? Do you have one or more new health challenges that are weighing you down? Perhaps you have a chronic health condition, a long-lasting disease that may, or you fear will worsen over time.

Resilience

Change is inevitable. Some is wonderful and some we don’t want. How adaptable or flexible do you feel when something new or difficult happens? Do you yearn to feel stronger and more able to manage life’s ups and downs? Do you wish you recovered sooner from challenges or felt better able to withstand difficulties? Tip: The single biggest factor for resilience is having positive relationships.

Andrea is a psychologically savvy, top-notch professional. She has deep experience in whole health models of care, is highly skilled at client-centered communication, and is able to simultaneously hold the big picture of a client’s life while providing an exceptionally sensitive, tailored approach. Andrea is committed to the growth and healing of her clients, and she empowers them in the process.

Ruth Q. Wolever, PhD
Clinical Health Psychologist

Reach out for a 20-minute complimentary call

andrea@andreashawpsychotherapy.com or text 919-395-3312

Andrea Shaw, PhD, MFT
Transforming Challenge into Opportunity, PLLC

Offering individual in-person psychotherapy in Chapel Hill, NC, and online for adults, college-age and up across North Carolina.