Specialties
Anxiety
You might be struggling with physical symptoms: racing heart, sweating, tension, crying, etc. You might experience excessive worrying, thought spirals, compulsions or obsessions. It can include panic attacks, general anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, and/or obsessive/compulsive thoughts or behaviors.
Relational/Attachment Issues
You might notice you end up in similar relationships over or over. It might be that you’re curious about how you attach to other people. You might be noticing you’ve been really influenced by things you learned from your caregivers growing up and are struggling to undo some of those patterns.
Depression
You might notice that you have less interest or motivation in the things you once did. Your relationships with sleep, food, energy might have shifted. It also might seem like life feels more hopeless. Depression can be shorter or longer-term, can be related to menstrual cycles, and use of other substances.
Transitions/Existential Questions
You might find yourself feeling like there is no purpose or point. You might find yourself asking is there more? It might be you have the things you worked for, but are still struggling. You might also be navigating a change of with work, school, relationships, or a stage in life/health.
Trauma
Trauma may be related to a single incident or due to chronic adverse/toxic conditions or relationships. You may have faced a personal attack/abuse, natural disaster, accident, medical procedure or chronic medical condition or have PTSD. You might also be noticing physical symptoms related to the survival systems of fight, freeze, flight, or fawning.
ADHD/Autism
You may have a formal diagnosis or self-identify with ADHD or Autism. You might be feeling the weight of masking in a society that doesn’t meet you as you are. You might feel like an “other” or notice you have internalized a lot of labels other people have put on you. You might notice you feel more sensitive than others to sensory input or to authority.
Integrative Therapy
Therapeutic Modalities
Person Centered Therapy
Person centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s. It serves as a foundation for all the other modalities I use. It is a non-directive, client-led approach that trusts in your innate knowledge and wisdom. It is built upon the tenets of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence. Put another way, I will strive to make sure I am understanding you (please correct me if I am not), meet you with non-judgment, and will be authentic and genuine in sharing space with you (a curse word or two will probably slip out). Typically within the first 5 sessions or so we will collaborate to write out your treatment “path”, a living document that will inform us of what is important to you and how we know our work together is helping to support you to move in the direction you want to go.
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based therapeutic modality that began in the 70’s with Peter Levine which supports clients with trauma, anxiety, stress, and physical symptomatology. I summarize it as listening to the content of your body in addition to the content of your mind. It is often helpful for clients who have found traditional talk therapy supportive but find themselves stuck with their progress. It does involve talking and can include light movement, exploring sounds, using sensory input in session, and more. It can help support clients who: reenact familiar patterns in relationships; those impacted by physical symptoms related to anxiety, pain, injuries, and medical treatments; and those who find themselves in a state of constant stress. It is also relational in nature and is informed by an attachment based lens as well. It helps support movement from dysregulation to regulation.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based and empirically-based behavioral approach created in the late 1980s by Steve Hayes. Its focus is not on removing thoughts or emotions because those are part of your human experience, rather it supports you to move in the direction of the person you want to be based off your values. We will not be able to get rid of pain, hurt, or suffering as those are inevitable and we can support you with engaging in life in the ways you want even as unwanted feelings and thoughts flow in and out. There are a variety of ways I support you with ACT in sessions, mindfulness being one. This does not necessarily mean we are sitting and meditating in session, it can, and it more often means bringing attention to the our present moment with openness and curiosity. ACT has been shown to support anxiety, depression, stress disorders, PTSD, OCD, and chronic conditions.
Parts Work/Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts work modalities are other non-pathologizing modalities I use. Have you ever found yourself saying something like “there’s a part of me that feels this way or acts this way” and maybe that is how you act sometimes with certain people or situations and at other times it seems like you’re a different person? These modalities are built upon the theory that we have different “parts” of us within our whole person. It can be that some parts of us may become more common/dominant while others get hidden/dominated and these modalities help to move you in the direction of allowing access to and integrating all parts of you. It can also feel like parts of ourselves can be in conflict or battle with one another. IFS and parts work help to increase the relationship and connection between all your parts. It has been shown to support anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Informed
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic modality created by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s. It allows processing of an event, series of events, or emotions by combining processing with some form of dual stimulation (eye movements, bilateral tapping, or bilateral sounds). It creates a form a memory storage where you are no longer absorbed into what you are processing, instead you can start to observe it without such overwhelming sensations, emotions, or thoughts. It is a form of therapy that also does not require you to verbalize an event over and over and instead suggests that our neurobiology creates a shift around the situation you are processing. It has been shown to be helpful for trauma and PTSD as well as anxiety, depression and more. EMDR can be done as an adjunct to work you are already doing with another therapist, can be used alongside other therapy modalities in our work together, or can be the sole therapy you choose to engage in.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a newer therapy modality that supports clients with trauma, overwhelming emotions, blocks, and PTSD. It was developed by David Grand who first used Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to support clients and found blending somatic approaches with that modality offered more flexibility. This modality, similar to EMDR, uses a visual spot or spots (found using a pointer in session) as an anchor point as you process an event, experience, or emotion. Processing in this modality can be as verbal or as non-verbal as you need. This, like EMDR, is a theory based on the ability of our brain to create neural changes. It can help support movement from dysregulation to more regulation. It can also help decrease distress with certain memories as they are categorized differently in the brain.
Exposure Response Prevention
Currently in further training/consultation