Therapist Spotlight: Madison Trifon
What inspired you to be a therapist?
Well, I've always had a curiosity about people—an interest and a passion for the human experience. And I've been really inspired by people's resilience in particular. I think that if people want to change, they can change. So, pretty early on, I wanted to be a part of that—helping and facilitating a process, so that people can transform themselves for the better.
What's a typical session like with you?
A typical session starts with a warm greeting, and me seeing what's on your mind for the day, being in that exploratory, curious space with you. Or just being there to listen as you vent, and picking up on patterns as they're happening, connecting dots between the things you are saying, and then relating them back to the bigger issues in your life. And together, we would do this to help you gain some understanding over what you're feeling in your life. That, and practicing some acceptance of what you're going through at that time...
So, a session with you seems flexible and open?
Yes, I rarely have a plan for a session. It's very much about opening up and going with the flow of your thoughts. And just having the trust that through talking and exploration, you're going to learn something. Even if it's just hearing the words come out of your mouth, and hearing what that sounds like out loud, out of your brain and into the air, into the world....That trust component is important, because one way or another you’re going to get something out of the session.
What's your favorite part about therapy?
Well, it's so rare that people give themselves an hour just to think, or to process their thoughts. People are busy and people are preoccupied. I think it's such a valuable and intentional exercise to take the time to look inward. It's a really brave exercise. It's kind of a scary exercise. You never know what you're going to run into and I think that's where the therapist comes in. That person, the therapist, is your safety net for that exploration... And it's not just about safety, the therapist is a collaborator in this process, a prompter, or catalyst of ideas and questions...
You seem to relish the open-ended, associative quality of therapy.
I'm absolutely interested in the free associative process. You know, if you're a client, you might be talking about something that happened at work, and suddenly you're talking about your relationships. What was the sequence of thoughts, ideas, feelings—that triggered you or took you from Point A to Point B? How are they related? Maybe your feelings about being unappreciated at work are actually related to your relationships at home, or vice versa.
So, I think what I like about free associative thinking, or bringing what's 'unconscious' to our awareness, is that it's like a puzzle! And together, client and I, we're sort of these detectives in your life. You know, we're cracking the code, solving this mystery, and we're putting these pieces of the puzzle together. It can actually be kind of fun to figure out how it all fits...Finding those missing pieces can feel so satisfying. Once you uncover them, there's this sense of relief and freedom...that you finally understand why you do 'that thing' or behave a certain way.
So, it's amazing to me just how powerful information about yourself can be, how freeing information about yourself can be. To me, it's much less about 'the doing and the fixing' and more about the uncovering and the understanding.
Everyone needs self-care. How do you practice self-care?
Ha, I'm a big sleep person, so getting proper sleep. That and going on walks, absorbing Nature in any capacity. Talking with friends. My self-care is basic: eating well, getting good sleep, nurturing my relationships with friends, and getting into Nature. It's a reset for me. Just feeling like there's enough space, and feeling like you're witnessing something bigger and more beautiful, and feeling how expansive the world can be. I find it to be grounding.
What have you learned over your career as a therapist? How has it changed your outlook, your sense of the Big Picture?
Well, I wonder a lot about how people receive love and nurturing in their life…I think love can go a long way in determining one’s sense of purpose and confidence in the world. But receiving love from others, it’s not the end all be all. Really, it’s about giving yourself love. There’s a learning curve when it comes to loving yourself. It’s not something most people are taught. I think self-love — love from within — can open up the world for you in a new way.
So, I guess love is the answer [laughs].