Geraldine Kerr, LMFT, PhD - Expert

Geraldine Kerr is a Therapist and Life Coach whose professional life centers on helping clients transition from where they currently are, to where they would like to be.  Through many years of professional experience, including resolution of many of my own life's losses, I have come to understand the impact that current and prior life experiences have on us, oftentimes dulling a sense of who we are and who we feel called to Become.  Old or recent traumas including childhood trauma or abuse, breaches of trust, betrayal in relationships, divorce, abandonment, low self-esteem, poor self-confidence, depression, anxiety, feelings of intimidation and low self-worth, all may stem from events in our present or past lives that have set us back, confusing the very identity of who we see ourselves to be.  With a background in Pastoral Ministry, I have come to believe and experience over the years, a realization that that psychotherapy in many ways is soul work.  I believe that each of us has a Core Self and that Self is our engine that drives and calls us forward to be the most that we can be.  It is frequently this Core Self that is obscured or dimmed, that is forging forward into new beginnings.      
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist trained in family systems, I am keenly aware that what we learn in our Family of Origin shapes and molds us in ways we are often unaware of.  Rules, roles, communication patterns, what to attend to, what to ignore, how to speak up and when to stay quiet, are all ways that we are shaped in our families.  What allows family systems work in Couples Counseling to be so powerful is that meaningful partnership that a couple is working so hard to achieve, is oftentimes unattainable based on rules and roles that each learned in their (different) families of origin.  Once those rules and roles are opened up and understood, couples are in a rich position to change the rules they want to conform to their own relationship.  Whether seeking services for yourself individually, as a couple, or as a family, my systems training combined with additional training in Affective Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and contemplative practices are available to help you reach the other side of where you would like to be.  Together, we will untangle and understand past or current events that may be blocking your point of entry into the life that you would like now!  
As a Life Coach, I have been trained in the practice of Choice Theory, based on William Glasser's Reality Therapy Model.  From that perspective, every part of our behavior, thoughts, feelings, and what we do with them is a choice.  It is our choice how we perceive or filter information, and it is our choice how we respond to it.  As your Coach, my services are available to help you reach the goals of your dreams.  Perhaps you envision your goal but simply have not found the way there yet.  Together,  we will take your understanding of past events that have held you back, and use that understanding to open gateways toward new beginnings.  Together, I will work with you in a supportive and encouraging environment to help you reach those unrealized goals, while understanding and transcending obstacles you may encounter along the way.  
Although events in life can and do hold us back, working with the right Therapist or Life Coach can and will help you identify what is standing in your way of reaching your goals.  Nothing good comes in Life without taking risks and making investments, including investing in our Selves.  Both personally and professionally, I understand firsthand that relationships are key to life!  I am available to help you as a Therapist or Life Coach.  I am a Certified Trainer in Gottman's New York Times Bestseller Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, a Model I frequently use in a Retreat-like setting for groups of couples for weekend long training.  I offer in-office sessions and/or marathon sessions of extended duration, including weekends.  I have presented workshops and conference seminars both nationally and internationally and am available to offer Keynote speeches, Seminars, and Retreat services on topics of my suggestion or your choice.  I look forward to hearing from you at www.gerikerr.com.