Preface: writing a review for a therapist is obviously a deeply subjective and personal experience…read more It also means explaining or exposing things that are personal about one's own life, and as such, isn't going to necessarily translate for every individual. Cliche: we are as individual as snowflakes.
That said, when my partner and I began seeing Clark, our relationship had felt hopeless and over. My intention in seeing her was to "clean things up" with him so that we could salvage any hope of having a friendship in the future. He had wanted us to go as a last resort, sensing that he was "losing" me.
I had been in individual therapy for years and did not require any mental hoolah-hooping to begin the process. It was different for my partner who had been wary of therapy, believing that it meant there was "something wrong with you" if you went.
We were both willing to do the work though---and this is the key. A therapist can be as "good" as sugar, but if the people they're working with aren't willing, not much will change or be affected.
For us and our temperments, Clark was the perfect fit. Clark is insightful, non-judgmental, thoughtful, funny, compassionate, gentle, helpful, deeply intelligent, neutral, and most importantly she takes our insurance! Insights she's made weeks earlier will go by unnoticed in my life until I have an AHA moment as sparkling as a diamond, and I marvel at how she does it.
We've spent an hour with her once a week for almost three years and have laughed, cried, raged, pouted, bantered, chatted, and sat with silence. It sounds like a movie.
Three years later and I can say this:
We are now married!
Our relationship is stronger than it has ever been.
We still see her regularly, even though the initial reason we went has been cleared up and talked through. We get so much out of each session, it continues to be worth it for us to spend the time and resources.
In deciding if you want to work with a therapist, all the yelp reviews in the world must be taken with a grain of salt. In the end its about personality fit and willingness. But, I've worked with over 6 therapists and have to say that Clark is by far the most skilled, acute, lively, and brilliant therapist I've seen. If I hadn't started with her in couples work, I'd DEFINITELY see her individually (and I love my individual therapist).