Therapy is about awareness- of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, of the dynamics within your relationships, and the impacts of your environment. I can support you in increasing your awareness in order to better understand what your symptoms (including anxiety, depression, brain fog, and others) are trying to tell you. In my experience, symptoms are ways in which our mind and body attempt to communicate with us about our pain and our needs, and once these messages are attended to they can resolve themselves.

This way of working tends to move slowly and patiently, circling back to central issues again and again, and untangling one piece of confusion at a time. As a result, it is important for my clients to commit to consistent weekly therapy for as long as they determine it is helpful. Most of my clients work with me for several months to several years, depending on the extent of the confusion they are attempting to untangle and the pace at which they are comfortable. Along the way, I frequently solicit feedback about what is working and what isn't, so that you can feel confident that we are headed in a worthwhile direction.

A typical session with me starts with you describing a past or recent incident that creates a sense of unease or curiosity. I will ask you questions: how did you feel when the incident occurred; how do you feel now describing it to me; what would be your ideal resolution; what obstacles stand in the way of this resolution; what comes up as you confront those obstacles. In the course of the session, we will likely identify incorrect or outdated beliefs about yourself, connect your present experience with your experiences growing up within your family of origin, and locate suffering that is the result of systemic systems of oppression. We will also learn about how you handle emotion; whether it overwhelms you, whether you tend to compartmentalize, or whether you are able to find a balance.

I work best with those who are struggling with an unclear or negative sense of self. This manifests in the following ways: confusion about what you're feeling and where your feelings come from; difficulty asserting your opinion or your needs with others; a sense of constant shame, guilt, or inadequacy compared to others; a lack of meaningful relationships or life activities; (self-assessed) underperformance at work or school; victimization within abusive relationships; and a strong fear of abandonment or rejection. My goal is for you to feel more solid, happier, and more at peace with who you are by the end of therapy.

If what I've written here makes you feel that you're in the right place, I encourage you to visit my website to learn more about how I work, or to reach out via phone or email. Often the hardest thing about struggles with mental health or within your relationship is the fear that things will never change, but by taking the initiative to begin therapy you have changed already.