Get to know me

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

The fact that you are here says a lot! Something is causing you to feel sad, confused, frustrated, angry, lonely, or any number of other painful feelings. You have tried your best to carry on, but you know you can't do it alone. In our first session, my focus is on hearing your ideas about what you need most. I will ask questions to help make sure we cover the most important topics- your daily life, what brings you to therapy, what brings you joy and what causes pain, and what you hope to gain out of our sessions. I will also want an overview of your primary challenges, and what you have tried already (I find that almost everyone has tried doing something, even if you aren't aware of it or have a hard time explaining it). If you have done therapy before, it is helpful to discuss what was helpful or not helpful about it. I will make sure there is time for you to ask me questions, but I also encourage you to ask questions at any point in the session while the question is fresh in your mind. At the end of our first session, I will share a summary of what my understanding is of your challenges and goals to make sure that we are on the same page. I will also share initial thoughts about what we will do first in therapy, how we can take your existing strengths to move you toward your goal, and how we will know that therapy is helping you. It is important to me that you are clear on our action plan and what to expect from our sessions.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I am a relationally oriented and therapist, so above everything else I prioritize how you are feeling when you are in a session with me. Going to therapy takes a lot of courage, and trusting your therapist is not something that comes easily to most people. I focus on establishing a comfortable relationship in which you feel understood and safe to feel and express your true thoughts and feelings. I will explore past experiences as needed to understand how they influence the person you are today. One of the most common things that I hear from new clients is that they have had years of therapy but never had a therapist challenge them or truly get to the root of the problem. I strive to always find the balance between really listening and understanding your experience, while keeping the process moving forward so you can experience meaningful change. I take a directive approach to therapy, which means that if I feel we need to be moving our discussion in a certain direction or I see old patterns showing up, I will point this out. This is always done in a compassionate way, but I feel it is my responsibility as the professional to use my knowledge and expertise to ensure we are making progress. I always encourage questions and feedback- there are often several possible paths to choose from, so we need to work together to find the approach that works for you.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I am skilled at helping people who are used to hiding their pain from others, and find one day that they are suffering silently or "spilling" their pain and feeling out of control of their emotions. Sometimes they are hiding their pain in order to prioritize someone else's needs over their own, or maybe they simply struggle to express it. Many of my clients have been keeping it together on the outside, but inside they feel the constant chaos of pain, confusion, and feeling helpless. They wonder how much longer they can keep things together before it all falls apart, yet it feels too uncomfortable or pointless to try to turn to others for support and guidance. The people around them either don't understand, or their efforts to help you are not what is needed. This is when people start turning away from other people in order to protect themselves, yet they end up becoming increasingly alone and misunderstood. For those seeking parenting support, I explore the complex feelings that go along with parenthood. My clients often feel that their child is slipping away from them, but all of their efforts to connect seem to only push them away further. Parents feel angry or even resentful of their child, and then feel guilty for having these thoughts. I also work with adults who are struggling with their own parent or sibling relationships. Many people feel disconnected from their parents and are navigating differences in multigenerational communication styles or expectations in their family relationships. Young adults sometimes straddle this divide and are still working toward full independence from their parent while also trying to keep up with the demands of school, work, friendships, and romantic relationships, and drowning in feelings of worry and dread about the future.