What you can expect from me in our work together…

→ Though highly eclectic, I am, at heart, an existential therapist. I am relational, so you can expect me to show up as a whole, real person—offering you reflections on how it feels to be in relationship with you and asking you questions about how you feel toward me. Other modalities I use include: humanistic and person-centered therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, compassion-focused therapy, expressive arts therapy, jungian therapy, narrative and poetry therapy, gestalt therapy, dreamwork, play therapy, and somatic experiencing. I am IFS-informed (Internal Family Systems), but not a certified practitioner.

→ Echoing Peter Levine, I feel that one of the first steps in healing is becoming embodied, which happens by connecting with the felt sense. This means that our work will involve tuning into bodily sensation and noticing what is going on inside of you. For some, this feels arbitrary, uncomfortable and even esoteric in some aspects. Expect to be asked to shift out of intellectualization and problem-solving modes of thinking to tune into how you are existing.

→ For me, therapy is about being with, not telling folks what to do. There may be times that I offer interventions, exercises or experiments based on what you are sharing, though these are meant to be exploratory, not prescriptive.

→ I do not subscribe to the idea that therapy exists to make us feel better, or that emotional health comes from the control or elimination of “bad”, painful feelings, distressing thoughts, scary memories, unpleasant images or uncomfortable physical sensations. I will view these experiences as signals that should be attended to, signals that can motivate action (which may lead to relief or pleasant emotion, but does not have to).

→ I will ask questions and give prompting. I will not leave you in silence, unless the situation calls for it. I will ask probing, personal and challenging questions. You never have to answer.

→ I will ask you to take responsibility for your life, your growth, your self-relationship, and how you show up throughout this process, in and outside session time.

I am not the best fit if…

← you need treatment for active substance abuse, an eating disorder, suicidal ideation or behavior, psychosis, specific phobias, crisis response or case management. I am an outpatient-level therapist, meaning that the support I provide is the lowest level of intensity and involvement. I am not on-call between appointments. If you are currently facing these challenges, you deserve care that is going to meet your needs, which will likely need to be more intensive and more specialized than what I can give.

← you are court-mandated to seek out counseling, or otherwise pressured to do so by an external entity who is not you.

← your interest is primarily diagnostic. While I am able to diagnose mental health disorders (such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc), if you are looking for psychological testing, an opinion on medication management, or are curious about having ADHD, ASD, or a personality disorder, a psychiatrist or psychologist is more in-line with what you are seeking. I am better-suited as a guide through experiences than I am a guide through pathology.

← you are looking for a quick tip, hack, or life advice to get you to a specific result or to solve a problem. It’s natural to want badly to find “the answer”, as we all feel this at times. Just know that my approach is going to focus more on the slow tasks of inner work. Any answers will be arrived at through collaborative exploration. And lots of time.

← you wish to work with a therapist who is highly directive, structured, and takes control over session time. I am inclined to go with the flow, trusting that the direction you are taking will lead to insight. I will prioritize understanding over productivity. Working with me is not programmatic; it won’t be like taking a class or a workshop. You will be the driving force and I will work with whatever you bring into the room, so to speak.