My Approach
First and foremost, I aim to establish a safe, healing relationship with each and every one of my patients that will act as the foundation for the work that we will accomplish together. This is a collaborative process and often itself inherently therapeutic. This will also help us communicate effectively about the best treatment plan that will work for your needs.
I am aware that highly productive psychotherapy can take many forms, including targeted, evidence-based interventions as well as more dynamic, long-term approaches. I tend to use a mix of present-centered coping skills, open dialogue, collaboration, and insight-building to identify and disrupt problematic, repetitive cycles that are acting as barriers to living a healthy, thriving, values-driven life. At times we might pick a particular approach to which we will dedicate a specific number of sessions, and others will be spent letting the process unfold in a more natural and organic way.
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What's most important is that we find an approach that helps you safely explore new ways of approaching your life and relating to your sense of self, others, and the world.
photo: joe mazza - brave lux inc
Areas of Expertise
Trauma and PTSD
Creating a safe space where survivors can, at their own pace, begin to relieve the enormous weight of silence is often the first step to healing from trauma. With specialized training in trauma-focused interventions, I am also able to provide evidence-based approaches to facilitate that process, such as Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and other short-term targeted interventions for post-traumatic suffering, when we mutually agree this might be helpful for your specific needs.
Substance Misuse
The co-occurrence of trauma and self-medication with substances or other addictive behaviors is common among survivors, often a desperate and possibly unconscious effort to detach from the inner world and associated sense of pain. With experience in Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorder (CBT-SUD), our therapy can not only be utilized to increase insight but also build motivation and skills for meeting your own individualized goals to increase healthy coping.
Mood and Anxiety
With experience providing Skills Training in Affective in Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Behavioral Activation, I am able to incorporate specific skills into more dynamic discussions around established or ingrained patterns that might be perpetuating suffering.
Marginalized Groups
With a wide range of experience working with diverse clientele in terms of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic conditions, I am committed to creating a therapeutic space in which you feel heard, valued, and understood as an individual. I understand that these facets of our identity shape our lived experience and often impact how trauma is experienced as well as access to opportunities for healing.