Acceptance and commitment (ACT)

One of the things I love about ACT is that it meets you right where you are. Rather than focusing on getting rid of difficult thoughts or uncomfortable feelings, ACT invites you to change your relationship with them. The goal isn't to stop feeling anxious or sad; it is to learn how to make room for those experiences without letting them run the show or keep you from living the life you actually want. In my practice, ACT often begins with helping you get clear on your values, the things that truly matter to you, not what you think should matter or what others expect. From there, we explore the ways your mind might be pulling you away from those values, whether through avoidance, self-critical stories, or getting tangled up in thoughts about the past or future. Together, we work on building what's called psychological flexibility, your ability to stay present, open up to what you're feeling, and take action that aligns with what matters most to you, even when it's hard. I use a blend of mindfulness exercises, experiential activities, and metaphors to make these concepts feel real and relevant to your everyday life rather than abstract or clinical. ACT also fits naturally with my broader approach to therapy. Because it emphasizes present-moment awareness and a compassionate stance toward your inner experience, it pairs well with the body-based, trauma-informed work I do. For clients who tend to get stuck in overthinking or who struggle with self-judgment, ACT can be a particularly powerful path forward.

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

CBT holds a special place in my practice because it changed my life. Years ago, CBT helped me quit smoking, and that personal experience gave me a deep appreciation for just how powerful this approach can be. I truly believe that when we learn to shift the way we think, we can shift the way we feel and the way we live. When we start working together, one of the first things I'll do is get a clear picture of what you're going through and what you're hoping to get out of therapy. From there, I'll determine whether CBT is the right fit for you. If it is, we'll begin by exploring the thought patterns that might be keeping you stuck. These are sometimes called cognitive distortions — habits of thinking that feel automatic but aren't always accurate. Things like jumping to the worst-case scenario, seeing situations in black-and-white terms, or assuming you know what someone else is thinking about you. Most of us do this without even realizing it. Once we start recognizing those patterns together, we'll look at how they connect to the emotions you're feeling and the choices you're making day to day. That awareness is where real change begins. Over time, you'll develop practical tools to challenge unhelpful thoughts and replace them with ones that better reflect reality and better serve your well-being. I also want to be transparent that I don't use CBT in a one-size-fits-all way. I always take into account who you are as a whole person; your history, your nervous system, your unique way of processing the world. For some clients, that means we'll blend CBT with body-based approaches so that the changes you're making in your thinking are supported by a deeper sense of safety and connection in your body.

Mind-body approach

If you have ever noticed your shoulders creeping up toward your ears during a stressful day, or felt your stomach drop when you got bad news, you already understand something important: your mind and body are deeply connected. A mind-body approach to therapy honors that connection and uses it as a pathway to healing, rather than treating your thoughts and your physical experience as separate things. This approach is central to how I practice, both professionally and personally. I'm currently pursuing a doctorate in Mind-Body Medicine with a specialization in Integrative Mental Health, and the principles I'm studying and researching are woven into the work I do with clients every day. I also engage in my own mind-body practices, including Qigong, somatic awareness exercises, and creative expression, which gives me a lived understanding of how these approaches actually feel from the inside, not just how they look on paper. In session, mind-body work might look like pausing to notice what's happening in your body when a particular emotion comes up, using breathwork to help your nervous system settle when you're feeling overwhelmed, or exploring how stress, trauma, or difficult experiences may be showing up not just in your thoughts but in physical tension, fatigue, or disconnection from your body. What I find most powerful about this approach is that it gives you another way in. Some people are not ready to put words to what they've been through, or they find that talking only takes them so far. Mind-body work opens up a different channel, one that can feel more intuitive, more grounding, and sometimes more honest than language alone. Whether we use it as the main focus of our work together or blend it into other approaches like CBT or ACT, the goal is always the same: helping you feel more connected to yourself, more present in your life, and more equipped to move through whatever comes your way.

Trauma Informed Care

Trauma-informed care isn't just a technique I use in session, it's the foundation that everything else in my practice is built on. Whether or not trauma is the reason you're coming to therapy, the principles of safety, trust, choice, and collaboration are present in every interaction we have. I have spent over a decade working in settings where trauma was part of nearly every client's story, from intensive family-based services and school-based programs to outpatient work with individuals across the lifespan. That experience taught me that trauma doesn't always announce itself with a dramatic narrative. Sometimes it shows up as a pattern you can't seem to break, a nervous system that's always on high alert, difficulty trusting others, or a sense of disconnection from yourself or your body that you can't quite explain. In our work together, being trauma-informed means I will never push you faster than you're ready to go. We will work at your pace, and you'll always have a say in what we explore and how we explore it. I pay close attention to what's happening in your body and your nervous system, not just what you're telling me with words, because trauma lives in the body as much as it lives in the mind. That's why I draw on somatic approaches alongside more traditional talk therapy, so we're addressing the full picture, not just the part you can put into language. It also means I bring a deep awareness of how identity and life experience shape the way trauma is carried. I work from an affirming, culturally responsive stance, which simply means that I see you as the expert on your own life, and I'm here to walk alongside you — not to diagnose your experience or tell you what it should mean. My goal is to create a space where you feel genuinely safe enough to do the brave and often difficult work of healing, knowing that you're in control of the process every step of the way.

Family Therapy

For ten years, I provided family-based therapy in the places that mattered most — homes, schools, and communities. I wasn't working with families from behind a desk; I was in their world, meeting them exactly where they were. The families I worked with were navigating some of the most high-stakes circumstances imaginable: children at risk of being removed from home, or young people returning from residential treatment facilities or inpatient stays, trying to find their footing again. I developed a deep respect for family systems, for the invisible rules and loyalties that hold them together, and for the resilience that exists even in the most overwhelmed households. I also learned how to build trust quickly, work collaboratively across systems like schools and providers, and hold hope for families who had often been failed by the very systems meant to help them.