my approach

to therapy…

I get it. There’s so many therapists out there… how do you find the right one? Well, I know that a lot of my clients love to do their research!

If you don’t care about how I do therapy - you just want to dive in, that’s awesome, you don’t need to read any further!

If you want to know a little more about my therapeutic approach, this page is for you.

I am a relational therapist. I recognize that the therapeutic relationship - or how you and I vibe, trust, and understand each other - is the most important part of therapy. I say this because it’s not only backed by experience, but by research.

At the foundation, I believe that the client is the expert of their lived experience. This doesn’t mean that I won’t challenge you at times, but that I realize my education and even my own lived experience does not eclipse your experience. This also leads to the importance of client autonomy - I promote your autonomy, or right to choose, by guiding you to your truth, providing you with tools and skills; however, I will never make a decision for you, and I can’t “do the work” for you. In my therapy room, since you are the expert and you have choice, I fully welcome your collaboration. One of the first things we will discuss is therapy goals. What do you want to work on?

Beyond these crucial tenants of my therapy practice, my style is eclectic and unique, just like each of my clients. I believe in utilizing research and techniques that are “best practice” for certain types of issues. For example, I incorporate a kind of therapy called DBT for my clients who have borderline traits because it is researched to be most effective. EMDR has also been proven as the most effective treatment for PTSD, so preparing those clients for EMDR is often a part of the treatment plan.

I acknowledge that research and “standard treatment” in certain areas such as trauma and Autism are lacking, which is why I keep up with the latest research, and employ “newer” techniques that are proving to be most effective right now, like parts work (IFS).

With every client, I utilize mindfulness - whether in guided meditations, guiding attention to sensations in the body, the sense of energies, or feelings. I want to acknowledge that techniques such as mindfulness and breath work have been utilized in Eastern medicine for thousands of years, way before our Western world of research has caught up and “confirmed” their usefulness. The art of mindfulness is truly amazing for our mental and physical health.