Working With Me
How I Work
Presence & Feedback
It's important to me that you feel my engaged presence and genuine interest in supporting your goals.
I understand that people want to hear from their therapist and feel their active support - no one wants to feel like they are talking into a void. First and foremost, my hope is that you will experience some relief from the outset that you don't have to suffer alone, and you have someone on your side giving you full attention and supporting your needs.
There's an important balance I seek to maintain in our work together. On the one hand, it's important and valuable for a client to receive guidance and feedback from their therapist. And yet, I believe that much of what the client needs for growth and healing comes from inside of themselves, and the therapist's most important job is to create the conditions for the client to uncover and access that inner wisdom and healing energy.
To illustrate with a simple example, one indispensable way I can help a client is by bringing attention to the nonverbal signs I'm observing that suggest an emotion is welling up that the client is not acknowledging. Simply bringing the client's attention it often unlocks important information about what needs attention in the client's psyche. If I were to respond only to the content of what the client was talking about, without acknowledging the emotion in the room, an important opportunity would be missed. I find that clients feel most seen and satisfied by a session when that emotional connection is made.
There is such a thing as a therapist doing too much. Therapy is relational (interactive), but it requires the client to look inwards, and in a sense, "listen inwards". Active, deep listening is truly at the core of good psychotherapy. I've learned over my career that I can inhibit my clients' natural, deep process of self-discovery and healing if I'm not mindful. This means being intentional about when and how I speak up, offer a perspective or tool, ask a question, and so forth. Even the act of asking a question will shape the direction of the conversation, so it is best done sparingly and with intentionality.
My primary goals with my clients are: creating an environment of emotional safety; helping clients become more aware of their emotions when they are not in touch; helping clients tolerate or contain emotions when they are too overwhelming; asking meaningful questions to help folks consider things from different angles; providing feedback based on my impressions and clinical experience; maintaining humility and open-mindedness; helping clients identify patterns/ themes in their lives, and conveying respect at all times. I want to create those conditions that allow a client to feel safe, accepted, heard, understood, and validated. As we converse and listen deeply, the healing unfolds and the solutions present themselves.
I attend to both the here-and-now, and exploration of each client’s personal history to consider how the past may be affecting a person’s present life. Some of the most powerful influences we have are the relationship blueprints we formed in our childhood families. My theoretical orientation incorporates aspects of several schools of thought, with particular emphasis on the following: Client-Centered/Humanistic, Cognitive Behavioral (“CBT”), Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Intersubjective, Relational, and Attachment theories.
I sincerely care about my clients and develop an authentic connection with them as we get to know each other. It is a unique type of relationship, though, as the focus is always on the client's needs. Because the hour belongs to the client, I will only disclose things about myself and my personal life sparingly at times, so that we can stay focused on your needs and your goals. When considering which therapist to work with, I strongly urge you to assess whether they will hold these ethical boundaries for you.
I understand that people want to hear from their therapist and feel their active support - no one wants to feel like they are talking into a void. First and foremost, my hope is that you will experience some relief from the outset that you don't have to suffer alone, and you have someone on your side giving you full attention and supporting your needs.
There's an important balance I seek to maintain in our work together. On the one hand, it's important and valuable for a client to receive guidance and feedback from their therapist. And yet, I believe that much of what the client needs for growth and healing comes from inside of themselves, and the therapist's most important job is to create the conditions for the client to uncover and access that inner wisdom and healing energy.
To illustrate with a simple example, one indispensable way I can help a client is by bringing attention to the nonverbal signs I'm observing that suggest an emotion is welling up that the client is not acknowledging. Simply bringing the client's attention it often unlocks important information about what needs attention in the client's psyche. If I were to respond only to the content of what the client was talking about, without acknowledging the emotion in the room, an important opportunity would be missed. I find that clients feel most seen and satisfied by a session when that emotional connection is made.
There is such a thing as a therapist doing too much. Therapy is relational (interactive), but it requires the client to look inwards, and in a sense, "listen inwards". Active, deep listening is truly at the core of good psychotherapy. I've learned over my career that I can inhibit my clients' natural, deep process of self-discovery and healing if I'm not mindful. This means being intentional about when and how I speak up, offer a perspective or tool, ask a question, and so forth. Even the act of asking a question will shape the direction of the conversation, so it is best done sparingly and with intentionality.
My primary goals with my clients are: creating an environment of emotional safety; helping clients become more aware of their emotions when they are not in touch; helping clients tolerate or contain emotions when they are too overwhelming; asking meaningful questions to help folks consider things from different angles; providing feedback based on my impressions and clinical experience; maintaining humility and open-mindedness; helping clients identify patterns/ themes in their lives, and conveying respect at all times. I want to create those conditions that allow a client to feel safe, accepted, heard, understood, and validated. As we converse and listen deeply, the healing unfolds and the solutions present themselves.
I attend to both the here-and-now, and exploration of each client’s personal history to consider how the past may be affecting a person’s present life. Some of the most powerful influences we have are the relationship blueprints we formed in our childhood families. My theoretical orientation incorporates aspects of several schools of thought, with particular emphasis on the following: Client-Centered/Humanistic, Cognitive Behavioral (“CBT”), Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Intersubjective, Relational, and Attachment theories.
I sincerely care about my clients and develop an authentic connection with them as we get to know each other. It is a unique type of relationship, though, as the focus is always on the client's needs. Because the hour belongs to the client, I will only disclose things about myself and my personal life sparingly at times, so that we can stay focused on your needs and your goals. When considering which therapist to work with, I strongly urge you to assess whether they will hold these ethical boundaries for you.
If You're new to Therapy...
I know how vulnerable it can feel to ask for help and embark on the unknown.
I remember my own experience of engaging in therapy for the first time, and it helps me anticipate what kinds of feelings and expectations others may have when they reach out to a therapist for the first time.
As your therapist, I will ground myself week after week in what I consider to be my most important responsibility to you: maintaining a warm, safe-feeling environment that is conducive to personal growth and psychological healing. This means I will always show up with genuine interest, curiosity, acceptance, open-mindedness, and respect for your unique perspective. I will welcome your feedback about which aspects of our work together feel helpful, and which don't. And there is always room for humor! Your trust in me is a privilege and an honor.
I remember my own experience of engaging in therapy for the first time, and it helps me anticipate what kinds of feelings and expectations others may have when they reach out to a therapist for the first time.
As your therapist, I will ground myself week after week in what I consider to be my most important responsibility to you: maintaining a warm, safe-feeling environment that is conducive to personal growth and psychological healing. This means I will always show up with genuine interest, curiosity, acceptance, open-mindedness, and respect for your unique perspective. I will welcome your feedback about which aspects of our work together feel helpful, and which don't. And there is always room for humor! Your trust in me is a privilege and an honor.
Do you want a therapist who will be responsive and direct with you... but in a gentle and thoughtful way?
If this sounds right to you, we may be a good match. Over the years, colleagues and clients have given me feedback identifying these as key qualities of my therapeutic style. I believe my career is fitting to my personality, because in both my work and my personal life, people often tell me they feel comfortable opening up to me.
Research about the effectiveness of psychotherapy consistently shows that a positive client-therapist relationship is critical for psychotherapy to be successful. I use this as a guiding principle in my work, always nurturing the relationships with my clients to maintain trust, mutual respect, and collaboration.
If you're seeking therapy for the first time, the idea of talking about personal matters with a stranger can seem odd. But there are unique benefits to going outside of your personal network of family and friends, and engaging with someone who is well-trained in methods of conceptualizing the issues and framing the conversations. For those with intense, ongoing emotional needs, it can also offer reprieve for friends and relatives, who might otherwise feel helpless or overwhelmed by those needs.
If this sounds right to you, we may be a good match. Over the years, colleagues and clients have given me feedback identifying these as key qualities of my therapeutic style. I believe my career is fitting to my personality, because in both my work and my personal life, people often tell me they feel comfortable opening up to me.
Research about the effectiveness of psychotherapy consistently shows that a positive client-therapist relationship is critical for psychotherapy to be successful. I use this as a guiding principle in my work, always nurturing the relationships with my clients to maintain trust, mutual respect, and collaboration.
If you're seeking therapy for the first time, the idea of talking about personal matters with a stranger can seem odd. But there are unique benefits to going outside of your personal network of family and friends, and engaging with someone who is well-trained in methods of conceptualizing the issues and framing the conversations. For those with intense, ongoing emotional needs, it can also offer reprieve for friends and relatives, who might otherwise feel helpless or overwhelmed by those needs.