What Guides Our Work
Therapy is tricky to describe, because it is totally different for every person, every situation, and every relationship between person and therapist.
First and foremost, our work is guided by you. That is where we start.
You might be wondering- what would it be like to work with you?
The way I work draws from several different approaches, all with a shared emphasis on emotions, relationship, and how things are actually experienced in the body and in the moment. I take your inner world seriously. And, I trust that relationships heal — yours with yourself, yours with me, yours with others.
Whether we're sitting with your pain or noticing a pattern that keeps showing up, our work focuses on your experience. I may bring our attention to what's happening within you or between us. We may explore how the past is shaping the present. We may look at the ways you've learned to protect yourself from pain — and gently ask whether those protections are still serving you.
This work can feel playful, meaningful, scary, awkward, intense. Sometimes we get lost in a session. We usually find our way back. Sometimes it's a human, humorous detour from our work, and sometimes it is the work.
Change isn't linear. It twists and turns.
What Informs Our Work
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — EFT focuses on the emotional that inform our behavior. In couples therapy especially, we work on turning toward each other with honesty and care rather than getting stuck in the same cycles.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) — We all carry different parts of ourselves — some that protect, some that carry pain, some that have been pushed away for a long time. IFS is a way of getting curious about those parts rather than fighting them. It's deeply compassionate work.
Attachment Theory — We are wired from birth to seek connection. It is a fundamental biological need similar to the need for food or shelter. Our earliest relationships shape our nervous system. When those early bonds feel unsafe or unpredictable, we learn to adapt in ways that once protected us but can follow us into adulthood, showing up in how we relate to others, how we handle conflict, and how safe we allow ourselves to feel.
Skills & Structure When It Fits — Most of the time, therapeutic work is exploratory and follows your lead. Occasionally, especially in ADHD counseling, a more direct, skills-based approach is useful. I follow what you need.