As a licensed clinical psychologist, providing individual and group therapy to adults of all ages and from all walks of life is a privilege. I approach my work with a warm, compassionate, trauma-informed, and curious style while also being direct and challenging. I am prepared to work with you to address anxiety and panic, depression, grief, major life transitions, relationship and work challenges, family struggles, identity issues, acute and chronic medical conditions, trauma (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and neglect), and emotional/life stagnation. My work is grounded in the relational psychoanalytic tradition. As such, I view the patient-therapist dyad as a transformative relationship for exploring psychological dynamics operating beyond awareness and for fostering self-discovery and personal growth. This means that I encourage open communication, and I firmly believe that moments of disagreement or tension serve as opportunities for growth and nurturing resilience to interpersonal conflict.
My primary aim is to cultivate an authentic connection, allowing you to feel genuinely heard, understood, and accepted. This provides a secure space for delving into deep-seated, often unconscious thoughts, feelings, desires, fears, and patterns rooted in your personal and relational history. I also aim to create a space that allows for you to make meaning of past relationships and life events that may influence your present experiences, empowering you to make new choices and cultivate healthier connections. During therapy sessions, I listen for what is left unsaid and understand that the unstated is often as important as what has been verbalized. I use inquiry and empathy to help you elaborate on what has perhaps been too difficult to state in the past and identify patterns that may contribute to feelings of stuckness. I will work with you to achieve your goals and discover emergent goals that come from our work together (not everyone begins therapy with concrete goals in mind).
While I primarily practice from a relational psychodynamic perspective, I draw from a range of therapeutic modalities that are highly individualized to each of my patients. This includes elements of ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), mindfulness, CBT, and other modalities. Extensive training in biofeedback and an in-depth grasp of the mind-body connection have also allowed me to understand the ways in which mental health can have significant and real effects on physical health and vice versa, especially when one has a history of trauma. The connection between psychological and physical often plays a role in my therapeutic approach, mainly when working with those who suffer from medical ailments.
Embarking on the journey to find the right therapist is a significant step, and I applaud your commitment to this process. The first contact is often difficult to make. Please feel free to reach out so that we can discuss the possibility of creating a secure space for exploration, insight, and change.