Irina Banfi-Mare, Psy.D.

We all have the capacity for growth and change, yet too often people get stuck in toxic patterns and then feel hopeless about change. When that happens, struggles can seem pointless and never-ending. While we all want to be heard and understood, our fear of rejection or failure can prevent us from being willing to be seen as we really are. We have the desire to connect and grow, but sometimes we lack the tools or emotional safety we need to move forward.

How can therapy help? Therapy offers a place to explore the desire to understand and be understood in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Through therapy, you can become more aware of different kinds of experience (thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, behavior, relationships), look at how they influence each other, and make changes in the patterns that are harmful for you. Therapy can help you better understand and manage your feelings, improve your communication with others, and increase your satisfaction in relationships.

Making sense of your experience is essential, but insight alone is often not enough. True change often requires hard work and a willingness to deal with issues that are uncomfortable. I help people feel more powerful in facing life’s struggles and to use such challenges as opportunities for growth and wisdom. Often, people discover an increased sense of compassion for themselves and others, which helps them let go of unhealthy feelings that prevent them from moving forward in their lives.

I see my role as a therapist to help you suffer less and to increase your sense of joy and satisfaction in life. I will help you identify, emphasize, and build your core strengths and values. If you are missing or have lost a sense of purpose, I will help you develop a more meaningful life. Some people are unsure of what their goals are for therapy and just want to feel better. I will work with you to identify or clarify your goals so that you can get where you want to go faster and without wasting precious time and resources. I view therapy as a collaborative process and will regularly ask you about how you feel about your progress on your goals and the quality of our sessions together.

I have trained in a variety of therapies and am primarily informed by humanistic-existential, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic approaches in my work with clients. My approach includes careful consideration of how different elements (biological, psychological, social, and spiritual influences) may be affecting well-being. As my training is in clinical and health psychology, I often pay attention to the connection between emotional and physical health and how they influence each other.