“We emerge into the light not by denying our pain, but by walking through it.”
~Joan Borysenko
My Approach
In our work together, we collaborate to make sense of your life experience and how complex relational trauma and childhood emotional neglect have undermined your peace and joy.
With a calm presence, I listen deeply, reflecting back my observations, to deepen your understanding of yourself. I support you in gently turning toward your inner world, to foster your connection to your feelings and needs. I guide you to acknowledge and validate your emotional experience, to nurture acceptance and compassion for yourself.
I weave together different methodologies of psychotherapy, based on your unique needs. I use emotion-focused therapy, experiential therapy, and psychodynamic therapy approaches to explore your conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. I also bring in cognitive, psycho-educational, and even existential methods. All of this is to facilitate a “corrective emotional experience” to create a new, more accepting and compassionate relationship with yourself.
Specifically, in the work of therapy, we will do the following:
Explore how CEN shows up in your adult life. We’ll look at the areas where you’re struggling the most and explore ways of resolving those patterns in your inner world, in your work, and in your relationships with yourself and others.
Explore and embrace your childhood experiences. We’ll consider what happened (or didn’t happen), help you build compassion for your younger self, and what role those experiences play in your present life.
Create a plan to cultivate wholeness. We’ll look at the outcomes you want in your life to build the emotional resilience and skills you need to realize your full potential.
Who I Work Best With
I work best with midlife adults who are accomplished in life. On the outside, you’ve achieved success in your career and family. On the inside, you struggle to cope with feeling empty and alone, recognizing that you may be dealing with the consequences of childhood emotional neglect and complex relational trauma.
As a result, you may be experiencing depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, difficult life transitions, grief and loss, aging, parenting challenges, or caring for elderly parents. You have significant relationships but find that they aren’t as emotionally fulfilling as you hope. You are relatively healthy, not in active crisis, suicidal, or diagnosed with a personality disorder. You have some unhealthy coping skills, but they don’t keep you from functioning in your life. You might be in recovery from drugs or alcohol but aren’t actively addicted.
You value integrity, relationships, learning, and growth. You may have already done therapy and used other self-help resources but felt that they haven’t gotten to the roots of your suffering. You’re hoping to find answers but can’t quite find the right way to apply what you’ve learned to your life. You’re motivated to do the work to transform your suffering into healing, to look at your inner conflicts with some kindness toward yourself. You’re looking for a collaborative partner who can support you on the journey.
You are in charge of your healing process. You decide what goals you want to accomplish in therapy and whether you are making progress toward them. We proceed at your pace, going as slow – or fast – as needed. Your progress depends on how much our work resonates with you, and whether you will take the insights and tools gained into your life between sessions and apply what you’re learning.
Additionally, I work best with new Psychotherapists who want to explore the parallel process of doing therapy while also experiencing their own challenges in their lives. Distinct from consultation or coaching, Psychotherapy deals more directly with your history and patterns.
If this way of working resonates with you and you’re ready to engage in the work of therapy, I invite you to reach out.
My Commitment
I strive to uphold the values of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity for all my clients. I firmly believe in treating everyone with respect and dignity, and I do not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, gender, or any other characteristic. I value the many different ways that diversity enriches our lives, and I am committed to upholding the human rights of all individuals.
I recognize that racism, sexism, and hate speech can be hurtful and divisive, and I am dedicated to practicing anti-racism, anti-sexism, and anti-genderism actions wherever possible. As a continuous learner, I acknowledge that I am a work in progress, and I welcome feedback from clients regarding any behavior that may not align with these values or perpetrate micro-aggressions. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow, and I am committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for all my clients.
