In our first session together, here's what you can expect

The first session is an opportunity for us to begin understanding what brings you to therapy and what you’re hoping to gain from it. We’ll spend time talking about your current concerns, relevant background, and the patterns that feel most important to address right now. You don’t need to prepare anything in advance or have a clear plan—part of the work is figuring that out together. For individual clients, the first session often focuses on how you experience yourself: your thoughts, emotions, self-talk, and the situations where you feel most stuck or overwhelmed. I’ll ask questions to help clarify what’s been happening and how these patterns show up in your daily life and relationships. For couples, the first session is about understanding the dynamic between you. Both partners will have space to share their perspectives, while we begin identifying communication patterns, emotional needs, and areas of tension or disconnection. The goal is not to assign blame or resolve everything immediately, but to establish a foundation of safety, clarity, and mutual understanding. You can expect the session to feel conversational, thoughtful, and collaborative. I may reflect patterns I notice, ask clarifying questions, or help slow things down so important moments don’t get overlooked. We’ll also discuss goals for therapy and determine whether working together feels like a good fit. By the end of the first session, many clients report feeling more understood and clearer about what they want to work on. Therapy is a process, and the first session is simply the starting point.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to help clients develop deeper awareness of the patterns shaping their thoughts, emotions, and relationships. I pay close attention to how people make meaning of their experiences—particularly the role of self-talk, emotional reactions, and relational dynamics—and help clients see these patterns with clarity rather than judgment. I am especially skilled at working with complexity. Many of the clients I serve are thoughtful, high-functioning individuals or couples who feel stuck despite trying to “figure things out” on their own. I help slow the process enough to understand what’s actually happening beneath the surface, allowing insight to emerge in a way that feels grounded and usable rather than abstract. In couples work, a key strength of mine is identifying interaction patterns and helping partners understand each other’s emotional experiences without assigning blame. I help couples move away from rigid narratives about who is right or wrong and toward a more nuanced understanding of how differences in attachment, communication styles, and emotional needs create cycles of conflict or distance. This shift often opens the door to greater empathy, trust, and reconnection. My approach is both supportive and direct. I offer a calm, nonjudgmental presence while also asking thoughtful questions and reflecting patterns clients may not yet see. Clients often report that therapy feels focused, meaningful, and emotionally safe, and that they leave sessions with a clearer understanding of themselves and their relationships. Ultimately, my strength lies in helping clients feel more grounded, more self-aware, and more capable of making intentional changes that align with who they are and what they value.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I work best with clients who are curious about themselves and motivated to understand the patterns that shape their thoughts, emotions, and relationships. My ideal clients may not have all the answers when they begin therapy, but they are open to reflection and willing to engage honestly in the process. For individuals, I am particularly well suited to work with people who struggle with persistent self-criticism, doubt, and a sense that nothing they do is ever quite enough. Many of these clients are high-functioning and capable in their external lives, yet internally feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or emotionally constrained. They may spend significant time worrying about how they are perceived by others, second-guessing their decisions, or minimizing their own needs. Ideal individual clients are interested in developing greater self-awareness, understanding their inner dialogue, and building a more balanced and compassionate relationship with themselves. I also work with individuals navigating life transitions, relational challenges, or emotional patterns that feel repetitive and difficult to change. These clients are often seeking clarity—not just symptom relief—and want to understand why they react the way they do, rather than simply learning coping strategies in isolation. For couples, my ideal clients are partners who feel stuck in cycles of conflict, distance, or miscommunication and want to better understand what is happening between them. This may include couples dealing with frequent arguments, emotional withdrawal, trust concerns, or a loss of connection. I work well with couples who recognize that their difficulties are not about one partner being “right” or “wrong,” but about patterns that have developed over time. While couples may arrive feeling frustrated, hurt, or unsure about the future of their relationship, ideal couples are open to examining their own roles within the dynamic and are willing to engage in honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations. Therapy is most effective when both partners are committed to increasing awareness, reducing judgment, and learning to see each other with greater clarity and empathy. Across both individual and couples work, my ideal clients value insight, emotional awareness, and meaningful change. They are not necessarily looking for quick fixes, but for a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships that can lead to lasting growth. My role is to support that process by creating a thou