Meet Dr. Jaffe

Dr. Jaffe primarily works with adults and adolescents over the age of 12. He works with clients experiencing a variety of symptoms and circumstances, though he does have several areas of specialty. These areas include trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and addictions (alcohol, substance use, and process addiction, such as gambling and sex). These issues often cause clients to experience relationship difficulties, either with family, friends, employers, or partners and spouses. As important as relationships are, Dr. Jaffe has chosen to include relationship issues as one of his specialties. Unfortunately, our difficulties in one area do not stay compartmentalized, but tend to bleed into other parts of our lives. As a result, Dr. Jaffe utilizes a holistic approach and tailors every session to meet the unique needs of the client his is helping.

For clients under 12 years of age, Dr. Jaffe provides referrals to a competent professional specializing in that area and believes that this is important to help facilitate treatment. He knows many other professionals in the field and can connect patients to a therapist in areas he does not specialize in.

Many factors come together to create an effective therapy session, and first and foremost among these is the building of trust. Clients often enter therapy having been injured in close, intimate relationships, making it difficult for them to know who or how to trust others. Clients must be able to trust their therapist, and this does not happen overnight. Part of the therapist’s job is to work to develop this trust within the therapeutic relationship. True caring develops over time. It involves being completely attentive, giving honest feedback, and developing an I-thou relationship where both therapist and client become teachers and students of each other. Dr. Jaffe strives to embody genuine care and concern for his clients, and one way he does so is through what he calls “carefronting.” To him, this means speaking honestly, and explaining why he is saying what he is saying at any particular moment. Honesty, without tact or genuine concern for another person, can be harsh and off-putting, and counter-productive to the therapeutic process. Dr, Jaffe strives to communicate in a way that is both conscientious and respectful. When done with empathy, this helps foster an atmosphere of love and trust, which is necessary for positive change and growth.

Though the length of treatment and even therapy itself may appear different from person to person, the first session with Dr. Jaffe looks similar for every client. When clients come to therapy for the first time, he will invite them to tell their stories in their own words and ask questions throughout. Throughout this process, he will provide feedback regarding what he thinks needs the most attention, and from there, collaborate to determine how frequently to meet. There is no standard length of therapy and predicting how long therapy may take is both dishonest and unhelpful, since it can create unrealistic expectations. How quickly the client can access, understand, evaluate, integrate, and act upon the therapeutic discussions is dependent upon a whole host of factors and is impossible to predict.

After the first session, therapy is always individualized, and although clients may have similar reasons for coming to therapy, no two people have exactly the same talents, abilities, interests, genetics, or upbringing. Dr. Jaffe understands this and works to structure treatment in the way most beneficial to each individual, or couple. As the process unfolds, he learns more about the person and uses that information to continuously enhance their treatment. This includes determining what techniques to bring to therapy. He integrates a variety of techniques in his practice but is selective about which interventions are appropriate, always prioritizing what will be most helpful at any given moment. Throughout each session he consistently checks in with the client to understand what they are thinking and feeling about how the therapy is progressing.

There are a wide variety of tools available in therapy, and just as one tool cannot be used to fix everything in a house, Dr. Jaffe endeavors to select the appropriate tool for each of his clients at the appropriate time.

Each session is used to both focus on the most important issue(s) that brought the person into therapy and, at the same time, deal with their major concerns of the moment. The proper integration of these two goals is what the experienced psychotherapists bring to the table.

Dr. Jaffe’s passion is to provide excellent care for a broad spectrum of mental health concerns. Wherever you live in Southern California, you are invited to contact Dr. Jaffe and discuss whether psychotherapy at this time may be right for you. If you live in Encino, Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks, San Fernando, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or Pasadena, and would like to begin therapy services, call the office or request an appointment online today. Simply go to our contact page and take the first step towards a better life today!