My Approach to Therapy

Whether you're here for help with childhood trauma, navigating life changes, or travel anxiety, you've struggled for a long time and tried lots of things to help yourself. You've started to recognize some important truths:

• Fears and emotional difficulties don't go away on their own, and, in fact, when you ignore them, they tend to grow.
• If "just get over it" were an effective strategy, you wouldn't be here, because you've certainly tried.
• You have hope for a better life.

What makes therapy work? Many researchers have investigated this question, and most concur that the strength of the relationship between client and therapist is the best predictor of success, regardless of the therapist's treatment approach or theoretical orientation. With that research in mind, I work with each client to build a relationship that is safe and consistent and that emphasizes the client's strengths. I draw from a number of therapy theories and approaches, including psychodynamic, attachment, cognitive, behavioral, mindfulness, and short-term dynamic.  

Together, we will construct an understanding of your life, how you got where you are, what's getting in your way, and what you might change. The heart of our work together will be cultivating compassion for yourself. This will allow you to grow and to live a full life.

In the process, you will build 

• insights into yourself and how you relate to others
• awareness of the inter-relatedness of your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physical reactions 
  
• access to your emotions and the ability to tolerate them
  
• skills in managing your behaviors, life, and relationships
• freedom and space to decide if you want to make changes, and, if you want, to make them.