My Approach

creative arts
 

I see therapy as an opportunity to work toward growth, self-discovery, and healing. I believe that people come to me not only with where they may be stuck or hurting, but also with incredible strengths and abilities. Through warmth, collaboration, and direct communication I hope to help uncover patterns that are getting in the way of living well. I use an experiential, emotion + body focused approach along with art therapy and practical tools to develop new ways of experiencing and approaching the hard stuff in life.

I specialize in Inner Bonding, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and PCIT. I frequently utilize EMDR and other somatic approaches in my work. I often incorporate creative expression including visual art, writing, mindful movement, and acting + improv based practices to supplement evidence based treatment options.

I work to incorporate mindfulness, creativity, humor, and genuine connection + vulnerability into therapy sessions. I see you as the expert on your own experience and work to provide empathetic collaboration to achieve your goals.

 

I also work often with clients on becoming a more loving and effective parent to their inner child. Inner child work is a therapeutic concept that arose with Carl Jung and I believe that as we grow and develop as children - in our families, at school, with peers and teachers, etc - we encounter situations and experiences that leave us bruised along the way. We take on false beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us and often these beliefs continue to play out now in our adult lives. The strategies and thoughts that helped to get us through tough moments as children may now be getting in the way of living a full and happy adult life. I utilize a transformative and self healing 6-step process called Inner Bonding to help guide clients toward a loving and grounded reparenting - learning how to care for themselves and the smaller inner version, along with the bruised parts of ourselves that have helped us along the way, to create joy and peace in the now.

Inner Bonding work may look like:

  • dialoguing (talking) with your inner child

  • journaling from your inner child’s voice

  • talking with a therapist from your inner child’s voice

  • meditating to feel in touch with your inner child

  • working with a pillow, doll or stuffed toy that represents your inner child

  • ‘play’ techniques in the therapy room

  • allowing yourself to be playful if real life and do things you loved as a child

  • learning to ‘parent’ yourself (nurture and care for yourself).