Paul E. Ruffer, LCSW-C
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Paul E. Ruffer, LCSW-C
To be alive is to have challenges and problems. We don't choose our challenges and problems, rather we choose how and with whom to navigate them. With this understanding, I help individuals and couples overcome feeling broken, inadequate, or stuck. Working together, we uncover how fear (which sometimes can be "false evidence appearing real"), anxiety, sadness and the negative self messages and insecurities that fuel those emotions can overshadow our strengths and dreams.

Strengths and dreams are really important, because the work, as I do it, is driven by what's right about you as opposed to what's not (yet). I am licensed clinical social worker and Advanced Certified Imago Therapist who is compassionate and respectful of the spiritual dimension of life. Whether you're suffering emotional struggles or simply need someone to listen during a tumultuous life event, I can provide the care you are seeking.

My goal is to work myself out of a job. I do that best by helping you realize how you neglect to appreciate the good that not only surrounds you, but is within you.
Services
Whether working with a couple or an individual the task remains the same-helping clients connect to themselves and others.
Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) teaches that we had to give up, deny, or disown core parts of our self to fit in with our family, our peers, our schools, and the variety of groups to which we belonged.
The power struggle phase or the IRT model is intended to force you to notice and reclaim those lost parts of yourself that you denied and disowned so that you can repair and heal those wounds and finish the work of childhood.
Anger and conflict often affect our relationships with others.
I teach you that anger is a secondary emotion often triggered by conflict that overshadows more primary emotions such as hurt, insecurity, and feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness.
When this distinction between the secondary and primary emotions is understood, you are more willing to acknowledge your vulnerabilities.
This willingness to be vulnerable engenders compassion which is an antidote to anger.
It is compassion that allows you to hear what those with whom you are in conflict are saying, so that you can find ways to reduce judgement and blame and manage the tensions within your relationships.
When working with clients struggling with grief and loss I encourage them to acknowledge and experience the emptiness, brokenness, and variety of other emotions that accompany their loss.
You can come to realize that until you are willing to acknowledge the feelings and experiences triggered by their loss, your ability to deal with its effects is compromised.
Despite how simple this sounds, the process of becoming comfortable with the discomfort of accepting the loss of a loved one is slow and arduous.
I incorporate my religious training into my clinical work and often find that it can convey psychological principles and interpersonal insights more clearly than either our professional jargon or the English language.
So, if your religion and faith matter to you please know that both will not only be respected, but where possible actively integrated into our work together.
I serve individuals and couples in the following areas in metropolitan Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia: Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, Farragut Square, K Street corridor, Shaw, Capital Hill, Upper Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues, 16th Street NW, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, Fairfax and Arlington.
As I work with individuals, couples, and families I teach relationship building techniques, drawing primarily from Imago Relationship Therapy.
Using the Imago intentional dialogue process, I help you better understand the complexities of your struggles, and become more aware of yourself as an individual and partners in various relationships.
These insights enable you to transform your challenges and conflicts into growth opportunities, leading you back to closeness with those you love.
My goal is for you to become more self aware so you can build safe, nurturing, and conscious relationships throughout your life.
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