My name is Bradford Bancroft and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as a Registered Drama Therapist. I have a wonderful little zen garden of a cottage in the heart of Glendale, California where I meet my clients to practice the creative healing arts.
I have joked (kind of seriously) that I wish I had had a therapist like me when I was doing my own work many years ago.
I’m caring, sensitive, fun, creative, thought-provoking and able to be a truth-teller in a gentle, constructive way.
I love my work and I love my clients.
WHAT IS YOUR STORY?
Everyone has a story and I love listening to them.
One of my favorite parables is the story of the Two Wolves:
One evening an old Cherokee wise man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.
One hurts us. Some call it evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is healthy. Some say it is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
“Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
I find this a lovely metaphor for the therapeutic work we need to do.
Finding and feeding our healthy selves.
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH THE BREATH
Have you noticed how your pet gets comfortable with you? Mine breathes a big sigh, her whole body responding to the intake of that breath as she melts into the place where she is lying, fully at ease, feeling safe, secure, and well-loved. Your pet might, as mine does, roll on her back (in that hilarious Snoopy pose), and put herself in a fully submissive position so that you can rub her tummy or scratch her ears. She has no fear of being attacked. She just sighs in safety.
I love that sigh, and that is what I want to create in my office. That breath. That safety. That comfort.
It is not easy, and I do not downplay the anxiety and heartache that often enters my office at any given hour, but I do hope that after we have talked, after I have listened carefully to your concerns and issues, we can create a space together in which you can start to see yourself with more power, more choices, more regard for yourself and for your life.
I hope to create the space for you to sigh.
How do we do that?
REHEARSE FOR LIFE
I call my work Rehearse For Life.
Have you found yourself talking to yourself (maybe your inner adversary) while driving in your car, taking a walk or trying to get your work done? What are you doing but rehearsing? What you would like to say, what you should have said, what you can’t possibly imagine saying.
These are all conversations and scenarios that I would like to explore with you in the safety of our space where we can ask questions and look at the choices you have before you as you continue to face the issues in your life.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
My wife loves to read YELP, not to see what businesses say about themselves but rather the reviews they get from their customers. In the spirit of shameless self-promotion, I’d like to share with you what a few folks have said about working with me. You can read their TESTIMONIALS HERE.
MY INVITATION TO YOU
Finally, I invite you to come in for a consultation and meet me face to face. See how the energy feels to you in the room.
That is all that is important. How you feel.
To schedule a consultation, please CONTACT ME.
Thank you,
Bradford
“Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” –Dale Carnegie
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
–T.S. Eliot