LMFT, 12 years of experience
I am a person-centered therapist utilizing a personalized collaborative and strengths-based approach. I view each person holistically and as a unique individual, tailoring our sessions to your needs and to meet your specific goals in therapy rather than following one rigid protocol. I have additional training in trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment modalities. My first priority is for you to feel safe and trusting of me as your therapist. I offer a non-judgemental, honest, compassionate, accepting and understanding space that respects your personal values, goals, identity, culture and experiences. Reaching out for help can be hard especially when you don't know what to expect, or were unsatisfied with therapy in the past. I offer a collaborative relationship and I encourage feedback on my style and the therapeutic techniques so that you can get the most out of our time. It's important for you to know that I am on your team, I'm here to help you help yourself - empowering you to take ownership over your life, relationships and well being. The practical skills, tools and resources I provide can be used for a lifetime of continued growth and wellness, beyond the therapy "room".
Ideally in the first session we would built a level of trust and comfort in communication, so that you will feel a sense of safety and confidence that I am on your side supporting you in achieving your goals - not the goals of your partner, boss, family members, society etc. We often discuss the history of the 'problem' or the areas you are not satisfied in your life, and your values, goals and idealized version of your life. We can then collaborate on a plan on how to work together to move you towards those goals and an acceptance of the distressing parts of life that are out of our control.
I specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, healthy relationship and communication skills, shame, grief, substance use disorders, disordered eating, life transitions and family therapy.
I work with all ages and identities. You don't have to believe in therapy or disclose any information about yourself that you don't want to, my goal is to identify your goals and see if there is room for me help you get there.
Working with a therapist, you will learn to listen to your own self-talk or the way you talk to yourself specifically about traumatic events, problematic relationships, physical limitations, or other challenges. You can then decide if a problem requires immediate action and change or if it can, or must, be accepted for what it is while you learn to make behavioral changes that can modify the situation. You may look at what hasn’t worked for you in the past, and the therapist can help you stop repeating thought patterns and behaviors that can cause you more problems in the long run. Once you have faced and accepted your current challenges, you can make a commitment to stop fighting your past and your emotions and, instead, start practicing more confident and optimistic behavior, based on your personal values and goals. ACT aims to develop and expand psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility encompasses emotional openness and the ability to adapt your thoughts and behaviors to better align with your values and goals.
DBT incorporates many of the techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It helps clients recognize and challenge the varieties of distorted thinking that underlie negative feelings and prompt unproductive behavior. For example, patients learn to identify when they are catastrophizing—assuming the worst will happen—in order to avoid acting as if it were the case. They review their own past and present experience for instances of all-or-nothing thinking, seeing everything in extremes of black or white, devoid of the nuance that is more generally the nature of life. Mindfulness training is an important part of DBT. In addition to keeping patients present-focused, it slows down emotional reactivity, affording people time to summon healthy coping skills in the midst of distressing situations.
Trauma can lead to guilt, anger, feelings of powerlessness, self-harm, acting out, depression, and anxiety. Post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects children and adults, can manifest in a number of ways, such as negative recurring thoughts about the traumatic experience, emotional numbness, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, and extreme physical and emotional responses to anything that triggers a memory of the trauma. This method teaches the normal reactions to traumatic experiences and can help reduce feelings of guilt or culpability for what happened; builds coping skills - including relaxation exercises like deep breathing, mindfulness, acceptance, identifying and redirecting thoughts, and other methods; utilizes gradual exposure - which involves gradually introducing the patient to memories of their traumatic experience, with the goal of reconditioning their response to triggers and easing emotional distress; cognitive processing, which can include developing skills to recontextualize unhelpful feelings and thoughts, and regulate emotions; and lastly caregiver involvement or social/community support which may include rebuilding trusting relationships. The goal of the treatment is to help the patient develop a sense of safety and security, to repair or develop healthy social skills, and for caregivers to feel more confident in their ability to help in a productive manner.