INDIVIDUAL Therapy
You may be coming to therapy individually, but your emotional world is deeply relational. The work is to stay connected to yourself when the people and relationships that matter most stir something up—rather than move away from yourself in the ways you’ve learned to cope.
You may find yourself in familiar, painful places again and again without fully understanding why. Maybe you spin with anxiety or self-doubt, question your own reactions, or work hard to analyze or fix what you’re feeling. Or perhaps you move in the other direction—feeling heavy, numb, withdrawn, or disconnected from yourself and others. It can become difficult to know what you actually feel, trust your own experience, or get clear about what you need.
These responses aren’t random. Often, they are ways your mind and body have learned to protect you when something becomes too painful or overwhelming to stay with. Dr. Ko’s approach is grounded in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), an attachment-based, experiential approach that helps you slow these moments down and stay more connected to your experience. The work is about developing a more stable, coherent sense of yourself—with greater trust in what you feel and more freedom in how you respond to yourself and others.
WHO INDIVIDUAL THERAPY IS FOR
People come to individual therapy for many different reasons. Below are some of the experiences Dr. Ko commonly helps clients navigate
Anxiety, Overthinking, and Self-Doubt
People who get caught in anxiety, overthinking, or trying to anticipate and prevent what might go wrong.
People who second-guess themselves, question whether their feelings or reactions are valid, or struggle to trust their own judgment.
People who cope by analyzing, problem-solving, or trying to “figure out” their emotions but still don’t feel settled.
Disconnection, Heaviness, and Feeling Stuck
People who feel numb, flat, disconnected, or unsure what they are feeling at all.
People who are experiencing depression, withdrawal, or a loss of energy, interest, or connection to themselves and others.
People who feel stuck despite understanding themselves well or having already done significant work in therapy.
When Relationships Stir Something Up
People who find themselves repeating painful patterns in relationships, even when they understand what is happening.
People who become overwhelmed by fears of rejection, abandonment, disappointing others, or not being enough.
People who struggle to know or express what they need, set boundaries, tolerate conflict, or stay connected to themselves in close relationships.
People who are navigating dating, breakups, separation, divorce, or other significant changes in important relationships.
Old Wounds That Still Show Up in the Present
People whose earlier relationships, family experiences, or trauma continue to shape how they experience themselves and others.
People who learned to minimize their needs, stay in control, take care of others, or disconnect from difficult emotions in order to cope.
People who want to understand why certain situations affect them so strongly and feel more grounded when those reactions get stirred up.
Life Transitions, Identity, and Finding Your Way
People navigating major transitions or decisions and struggling to hear their own voice amid uncertainty or competing expectations.
People who have spent years doing what was expected of them and are beginning to question what they actually want.
People who appear capable or successful on the outside while privately feeling overwhelmed, unfulfilled, or disconnected from themselves.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
Individual therapy with Dr. Ko is focused and intentional, while still feeling warm and low-pressure. Sessions are more than simply talking about what happened during the week. Dr. Ko will help you slow down, notice what is happening inside, and stay with you in the places that are harder to access or put into words. Early sessions focus on getting to know you, what brings you to therapy, and the experiences and relationships that have shaped how you move through the world.
Individual distress can sometimes be quieter than relationship distress. You may come to a session unsure what to talk about, feel like “nothing happened” that week, or wonder what there is to work on when things are going relatively well. That’s okay—and you don’t have to figure out where to go on your own. Dr. Ko will help you find the places worth slowing down and getting curious about. Often, what seems small, easy to brush past, or difficult to put into words gives us important places to begin.
Sessions are held via secure telehealth on a weekly basis so the work has continuity and momentum. The patterns we’re working with are often automatic and easy to move away from; meeting regularly helps us stay close to what is emerging and build on the work from one session to the next.
NEXT STEPS
If you’re ready to begin individual therapy, Dr. Ko will reply promptly to confirm availability and find a time that works for you. Once your first session is scheduled, you’ll receive intake paperwork to complete and a telehealth link for your meeting.
If you’d prefer to ask a few questions or get a better sense of fit before committing, a complimentary 15-minute consultation is also available.
You can request a first session or schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation using the button below.