An Interview with Our Founding Therapist – Dr. Allison Sibley
Q: What inspires your work as a therapist?
I do this work because life is full of problems and beautiful moments. I was drawn to become a therapist when I recognized the power of therapy to help people find more moments that are beautiful, and craft helpful solutions to their problems. It forever interests and motivates me in my own life. I have experienced this personally as a mom, wife, daughter, and a working woman. Beyond that, I have witnessed thousands of families and clients grow through their current troubles, and through therapy they find deeper connections, renewed energy, and creative new ideas for addressing their current problems.
Q: What is the philosophy of The Sibley Group?
Our therapy services are based on four values:
Working together…
First, we believe in being responsive. We know that when a person or parent makes a call for therapy that they have been considering this decision for awhile and are now ready to act in some way.
Second, we are authentic and personal in our work.
Third, we trust that counseling works best in a mutual, collaborative relationship.
Fourth, we are practical and integrative in our strategies; we draw from many approaches and use what works for that particular client and situation. Our clients are able to achieve their goals when they take the steps necessary outside of therapy to make real life changes.
Q: How do you choose associate therapists to join your practice?
We are a group of over 20 therapists, all with our own specializations. We aim to have a therapist and approach for everyone in the family. Our clients can choose a menu of play therapy approaches for kids, CBT and mindfulness-based practices for teens, and specialized treatments for adults. First, I choose to interview a new candidate based on top skills and personal recommendation. Second, I vet them with a one primary question in mind—Would I want this therapist to be my therapist? Or the therapist for my child, my sister, my mother or father, my relationship or my family? Those questions help me to hone in on their skills as well as their personality as a therapist. Just as you would, I would hire only the most skilled, the most likable, and the most respected person and therapist that I could find. Those are my guiding principles for building our diverse and specialized team.
Q: What is your philosophy about working with children?
At The Sibley Group, we’re especially sensitive to the needs of our youngest clients and their parents. Children, in particular, respond to a different kind of treatment. These treatments may be experiential, including art or play therapy and movement, or mindfulness-based interventions that can help.
With these treatments, children and adolescents are encouraged to “talk out,” “draw out,” “play out, “ or “move” their bodies to address their feelings and thoughts and as they gradually begin to feel less stuck.
We are also pros at working with parents. We value and prioritize parents’ involvement. We know that working with parents makes therapy for children and teens work best.
Q: What kinds of clients see the best results?
When clients are ready to try new strategies and learn new skills to improve their outlook, they see results. Our most successful clients commit time, energy, and attention to addressing and solving their problems within the sessions, and outside of their sessions.
Three useful actions have proven to be key, and all of them are an important aspect of our work with our clients:
- integrating positive practices into daily life
- measuring progress regularly, and
- talking simply about the change process
Once these methods are applied, our clients live and feel better and are able to connect more fully with others.
Q: How are the therapists at The Sibley Group unique?
We direct our actions by a few core values. We are authentic in our work with our clients. Our skills our specialized, yet our responses are very human. I believe that we are the most responsive therapists you will encounter. We aim to respond to new and existing clients right away. Third, we are integrative and practical in our treatment approaches. We can offer a menu of strategies for complex issues, and we can talk about these options simply. Lastly, we are true collaborators. Our practice has grown to its current size in large part due to our strong reputation for working well with parents and other involved professionals.
Q: What surprises you about the therapy process?
While I’ve always believed in this work, I get to see it “live” on a regular basis. I hear about success stories from our therapists weekly. For example, they let me know how a fearful kid has now returned to school, or how a distraught parent is now finding more peace and joy in her family life. Often, I hear back from a parent or client who calls to check in after having finished treatment with me many years ago. They share how their hopes and dreams have been realized despite the challenges that we worked through so diligently.
