Janet Mendell

Research shows that the number one predictor of therapeutic success is the nature of the client/therapist relationship. While it is crucial you choose a therapist who is well trained and has experience in the area in which you’re struggling, that’s only part of the story. Working with a therapist with whom you connect and feel comfortable can significantly influence the course of treatment.

So… let me tell you a little bit about myself.

A variety of life events propelled me to pursue a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy as I entered mid-life, a degree I had contemplated years earlier as an undergraduate. There’s no doubt in my mind that the wisdom I gained from living life and overcoming obstacles enhances the work I do in the therapy room. Having been a consumer of therapy over the years, I have a deep appreciation for the importance of the client/therapist relationship as well as the client experience.

While my training in Structural, Cognitive Behavioral, Emotionally Focused Therapy and Imago Relationship Therapy provide the framework for my therapeutic orientation, my work is punctuated with empathy and humor and informed by who I am as a person: a mother, stepmother, wife, former wife, daughter and sister.

What I Believe

• Everyone needs help sometime.
• We all get in our own way sometimes.
• We are all emotionally wounded.
• We are each the product of the family in which we were raised.
• We are each part of the problem. We are each part of the solution.
• Examining and reworking our expectations often leads to meaningful change.
• Making ourselves vulnerable and letting others TRULY see us is incredibly scary AND the key to deep connection.
• Practicing gratitude, being mindful and living with intention are the keys to contentment.
• Therapy should feel safe and non-judgmental.
• Therapy should be planful and have measureable goals.
• Change happens outside of the comfort zone.
• Being happy feels better than being right.
• Change is difficult. Change is possible.