You can expect me to bring an authentic, curious presence to each session. You will not find the neutral, head-nodding stereotype of a therapist sitting in front of you. Instead, your experience will be nurtured by my direct, expressive, playful, and accepting humanness. My practice is grounded in a psychodynamic framework; however, I consider myself eclectic, pulling from a plethora of theories and a wide variety of schools of thought. I am deeply committed to ongoing mentorship, supervision, and consultation, and I engage with my colleagues on a consistent basis. I am devoted to an affirming, personalized approach for every client and relationship.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
The name Freud rings a bell for most of us, and depending on your exposure, you might cringe or feel curious. Psychodynamic theory stems from some of Freud's original work and has evolved into the complex, relationally-focused approach it is today. Simply, this lens observes experiences through relationships: early life dynamics, the relationship between childhood and present time, current relationships, and the relationship between client and therapist. We will work to bring our unconscious into the light of the conscious.
In psychodynamic work, clinicians use the relationship with clients to inform their understanding of the patterns and challenges one might be facing. The authentic connection with clients is critical for deeper healing to take place, as attachment trauma and wiring can actively be healed through corrective emotional experiences with the therapist.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy
It might seem obvious that part of therapeutic practice is centered on emotions; however, there is a difference between intentional emotion-focused therapy (EFT) and other methods of practice. With this intentional practice, I guide clients in acknowledging, attuning to, and allowing the fullness of their emotional experience. Deepening our awareness of core emotions provides the opportunity to change our (conscious or unconscious) reactions to them, and the patterns we may find ourselves in when emotionally relating to others. Combining emotion-focused work with somatic awareness creates space for learning to engage with our feelings in a way that nurtures a more functional emotional landscape. Partners often seek the therapeutic space to address some sort of disconnection, and through EFT, we can learn to change the "dance" of emotional disconnection and conflict to one of intimate understanding and trust.
Somatic-Based
I have found the traditional medical models used in psychotherapy limiting at times, and somatic awareness and experience-based models provide the expansiveness we all need for lasting change. Through personal experience, witnessing others' journeys, and of course continued in-depth training, I have observed the body's incredible capacity to respond to experiences in ways that either enable or hinder healing. We begin to align our mental/emotional, spiritual, and physical beings by incorporating the intuitive wisdom of our bodies and using the nervous system as the guide and tool for regulation. Honoring and attuning to the holistic system in this way gives us a chance to increase tolerance for challenging bodily sensations and emotions, allowing for long-term healing instead of mere short-term relief. The mind has a tendency to get stuck or fixed, but the body is fluid (we are literally made up of water!); there is opportunity for thwarted survival energy to move through the body more easily than the mind.
We call this a "bottom-up" approach to healing, as opposed to "top down." I work to help clients become more "embodied" in their emotional experiences, creating new patterns for managing distress and working through emotional blockages and physical tension. I show up with mindful presence, compassion, and curiosity while using my own system as a grounding source for clients through a process called co-regulation. Together, we will honor and attune to the cues of the nervous system and work to allow the fullness of the experience to move through us instead of avoiding or "fixing" the emotion. This is a gentle approach that honors the honed (often maladaptive) skills we each have for managing and coping with our emotions and trauma.
Couples / Partnership / Families
I have a great appreciation for how messy, confusing, challenging, and fulfilling our connections with others can be. I enjoy engaging in the trenches with partners and families to navigate whatever reasons they have for seeking a therapeutic space. I work to help clients tease out the "details" from the more prominent patterns at play.
My relational work is grounded in the acknowledgment of our need for connection and regulation. I guide clients to explore the ways attachment-related fears drive conflict and/or dysregulation in relationships, bringing core emotions to the surface and allowing new ways of emotional engagement to take place. Acknowledging, attuning to, and allowing another's full emotional experience creates safety within relationships, paving the way for increased vulnerability and understanding. My approach is infused with loving awareness to help your relationships transcend old patterns while creating sustainable growth and change.
