My Approach to Helping
Hello! My practice is focused on complex, chronic mental health challenges, especially borderline personality and chronic depression (dysthymia). The clients I work with often grapple with isolation, mood instability, a nagging sense of emptiness, and recurring relationship struggles. Substance use may be present, but is rarely the core issue. Most have tried therapy before, and have perhaps found some benefit, but remain skeptical about whether it can truly bring the change they seek.
My goal is to help you identify deep patterns that have subtly narrowed your options in life, challenge and overcome these patterns, connect more easily with others, and generally feel more at home in the world. I have been fortunate enough to train in mentalization-based treatment and schema therapy, both of which have been recognized as evidence-based treatments for complex, chronic mental health problems. I work to provide a safe, supportive, and inquisitive environment in which you can share your experiences, feel heard, and try out new ways of understanding yourself and relating to others.
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
Everything except the insurance paperwork! I've now worked in mental health for 12 years, and it's still the main reason I get out of bed in the morning. There are ups and downs, of course, but seeing someone overcome a mental health challenge that has dictated the course of their life for decades is easily the most rewarding experience I've ever had.
Had a Negative Therapy Experience?
It is unfortunate that, as psychotherapy has become more widely accepted in our society, more and more clients present for treatment with negative past experiences of psychotherapy. If that's you, give me a call and let's discuss it. I think figuring out what didn't work in past treatment episodes is a big part of making sure this experience goes differently, and I always try to meet clients who're skittish about going back to therapy with a stance of empathy, respect, and curiosity.
My View on the Nature of 'Disorders'
This is kind of an important one in my corner of the field. Many clients who have been assigned a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder have felt dismissed by the healthcare system, and this is first and foremost due to the actions of healthcare providers. Too often, BPD has been the catch-all diagnosis that is used to describe any "difficult" patient (especially those who are not cisgender men like myself), and some providers openly declare an unwillingness to work with clients who struggle with BPD.
In reality, I've never met a client with BPD who wasn't doing their best. It is an immensely challenging issue to struggle with, and is almost always based on past trauma. Clients with these concerns need and deserve compassion and understanding, not idle judgement, and those are the values on which I try to build my practice.
