My Approach
Trust and safety are essential to healing, and yet, take time to build. This can be really challenging for people who aren’t sure where to start or who have become “prickly” to protect themselves from others. My goal is to provide you space to grow into yourself, become more aware, and make sense of past scary experiences.
Everyone’s idea of “true healing” might look different. From my experiences as a therapist AND a client, I have learned that understanding is necessary, but we won't fully heal until we FEEL into it. For as long as we are scared of feeling, avoiding pain, or living by someone else's rules and ideals, we hold ourselves back. When we are ready to dig in and clean out the wounds, we can heal from the inside out.
Together we will build a framework for moving forward. I don't believe there is a quick fix in this type of work; rather, we work together on a full understanding of the source of your pain and help you unravel and make sense of your internal conflicts and feelings. I am active in the room and will likely push you to reflect, think, and develop insight. I always aim to do so with love and compassion, in a way that you feel truly cared for.
I recognize the impact of discrimination, bias, and intergenerational trauma on mental health. I continue to seek professional training and consultation to provide the best possible care. I work to stay flexible in my thinking, recognize nuance, and understand lived experiences which are different from my own.
I am a primarily psychodynamic/relational clinician and I combine approaches from other elements of my training – especially Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, modern Attachment Theory, and Polyvagal Theory.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
WTF is that?! Psychodynamic therapy is a treatment that looks at how we got here, where we are, and where we are going. This approach acknowledges how our lives and earliest relationships shape us, the strategies we develop to cope, and our tendency to hide from things we are ashamed of or anxious about. How we are shaped by our experiences influences the patterns and cycles with which we navigate the world and ourselves.
You may have tried other approaches which alleviated suffering and dealt with the most severe of your symptoms, but the absence of misery is not the same as thriving. In this approach to therapy, we focus on helping you know yourself more fully, heal psychological wounds, address long-standing patterns which aren’t working for you, and create your version of a meaningful life.