Therapy Approach
I take an eclectic approach to therapy and tailor our treatment plan to suit you and your individual needs. I draw upon a vast well of past research and methodology passed on from researchers and psychotherapists who have come before me; however, I have extensive training in relational-gestalt therapy. I also draw from narrative therapy. Additionally, my approach is trauma-informed and I have experience working with clients who suffer from PTSD and complex PTSD. I have extensive experience working with those experiencing attachment concerns, healing from toxic relationships, and intergenerational trauma.
I incorporate select techniques and tools from the following methods:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Family Systems Therapy
Internal Family Systems Therapy
Gottman Method
1
Relational
We heal and change through relationships, through being witnessed by an empathic, authentic other. It is one thing to intellectually realize what is going on and it is another to be able to feel the effect you and your story have on another person. Healing is done not just through thinking but through feeling. As such, being felt by another can, in turn, facilitate safely feeling your emotions in a way where those emotions can be given meaning, processed, and allowed to be released and changed. I strive to be present and to witness you in a way that shows respect for your full humanity. In order to ground both of us in our bodies and feelings, I may track the way you show up and share my resonance with you. Along with allowing for growth this may also provide a corrective experience. For example, if you have been surrounded by people who tend to minimize your concerns, being with someone who does feel their gravity may help validate your own experience and also teach you that you are capable of being received.
2
Gestalt
“Gestalt” is the concept that the whole is greater and more complex than the sum of its parts. By understanding how different parts function within the whole, you can best understand yourself and effect change. Even destructive beliefs, behaviors, or tendencies will have started as attempts to meet your needs and to support the functioning of the whole system. Further, I am interested in how your cultural environment shapes your expectations or causes you to internalize certain beliefs. Gestalt therapy takes into account how mind, body, behavior and culture work together and incorporates dynamic exercises, role play, body work, and use of the here and now.
3
Narrative
profound impact on the way we are able to move forward (or stay stuck). How we frame what happens determines our viewpoint and influences our future actions. Narrative therapy can create a mindful distance between ourselves and our anxiety or depression by using intentional language and creative storytelling to locate the problem outside of our innate character; this can help re-define the journey we are on and the obstacles we face in a way that is more attuned to our resilience. I am interested in linguistic precision, meaning making through language, and creating personal agency through this technique.
4
Trauma-informed
Sharing and processing trauma must to be done in a way that feels safe and productive and does not re-traumatize. Together, we will work through trauma at a pace that suits you, building trust, and taking into account your current context and experience. Being trauma-informed means that I am aware of and may share with you how the body processes, stores, and reacts to trauma, and how the nervous system may be regulated to help manage symptoms. Processing trauma can be activating and so part of being trauma-informed means knowing how to bring down activation to keep you in a state where you can receive healing. Creating healthy boundaries, understanding power dynamics, and bringing awareness to why certain traumatic events may repeat in cycles are also all part of my trauma-informed approach.
