Dale A. Baker, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist - La Jolla
California Psychology License # PSY 9693
Direct line: 858-454-9752 ... Email: drdale@lajollapsychologist.com
7752 Fay Avenue, Suite B, La Jolla, California 92037
Couples - Individuals - Families
Relationships
The majority of people who come to me do so to work on the relationships in their personal and work lives. They seek to increase their coping skills and to learn to relate to the important people in their lives in loving and healthy ways. The goal of therapy in such cases is to gain clarity whether the relationship is the right relationship, and if so, how to maximize mutual happiness.
Good relationships are characterized by respect, understanding, patience, compassion, and tolerance for differences. Abusive relationships lower self-esteem, cause depression and anger, and deprive one or both partners of love and joy. Therapy often improves relationships as insight is gained into behaviors that act to diminish both partners. Sometimes, people learn that they don’t belong together and the goal of therapy becomes how to part ways in a healthy manner.
Obviously, effective communication is an essential ingredient of good relationships. Sometimes people learn that they have let resentment go on too long. Therapy provides a way to face problematic issues constructively rather than to let them fester. My role as a therapist is to help identify those behaviors that get under the skin and to help the partners open up without being hurtful. People always find they feel better when the window is opened and fresh air blows new life into the relationship.
