My Approach to Helping
When someone sits across from me, I'm driven to learn who this unique person is. What makes them excited? What pain needs to be tended? I empower my clients to build upon their strengths to meet their own needs. This is a practical, skill-focused approach so that you have a toolkit whenever panic, trauma responses, or negative thoughts strike. We'll slow things down, notice what's happening in the moment, and use that information to develop better ways to respond. Often, this looks like breathing exercises, visualizations, and affirmations to tip the scales from self-abuse to self-love. This is informed by EMDR trauma therapy, somatic awareness, and art therapy. Together we can create new ways to respond to old pain so that it informs your life, rather than running it.
More Info About My Practice
I studied Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy at Naropa University. There, I learned how to weave traditional therapeutic skills, Buddhist philosophy, and mindfulness practices together. I'm passionate about developing practical, body-based tools catered specifically to your needs. That way you can cope with everyday stressors more confidently. EMDR focuses on nervous system regulation (the fight-flight-freeze response), and tracking how the body, mind, and emotions interact. This approach primarily used for PTSD and CPTSD, but is also effective with anxiety, depression, and LGBTQ+gender identity issues, like internalized homo- and transphobia. Artistic expression is another outlet for complex, intense emotion that can be hard to convey in words. More broadly, creativity is a powerful force for healing. Rewriting your relationship with yourself is key to creating the life you want. Let's walk that path together.
How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist
I didn't get into this field because I've been the picture of mental health and self-regulation. As a queer kid in the 90's, I felt like an alien dropped into a world I couldn't understand. I blamed myself for not being "normal," for being the target of others' mockery. I internalized it and treated myself with that same cruelty. I was steeped in fear, self-loathing, and mistrust. It took a lot of work, and my own therapy, to develop the skills I needed to heal those old wounds. But I also learned to be resilient in the face of judgment and to value my individuality. It made me wonder why people believe what they believe, and act how they act. It was a desperate curiosity, but it sparked an insatiable desire to understand others that's now an asset to my work. It gave me deep empathy for others who are suffering. It also gave me a quick wit and a good sense of humor, because if you can see the absurdity in something awful, it feels a bit more manageable. Curiosity and creativity are core parts of who I am and what I do, and I'm grateful for that.
