I seek to provide you with the flexibility and agency to choose for yourself if you would like to accept or change certain patterns within your life. I bring a gentle, calming presence to the relationship, which I balance with active challenge and feedback in order to create the possibility for new behaviors, emotions, and relationship dynamics.
I work from a relational, emotion-focused psychodynamic therapy approach, which emphasizes understanding relationship patterns in the past and present in order to process the emotions related to these experiences. When we are young, we learn ways to cope with our feelings and usually these strategies were helpful at the time. However, these ways of coping frequently do not serve us anymore and in fact, disrupt our growth. We will aim to broaden these strategies so you have more options when responding to a situation. We will try to understand the meaning behind these behaviors and what it might represent.
I have specialized experience working with individuals who present with developmental and relationship trauma, eating concerns and eating disorders, as well as self-injurious behavior. I also work with individuals experiencing a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, identity development, and attachment/relationship concerns.
I have significant experience working with individuals who are exploring or have concerns related to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. I have written letters for my clients in support of gender -affirming surgery. We can focus on your identity development and how you want to incorporate this part of yourself into your life. We can also discuss conflicts that have arisen within yourself, important others, and how you are treated in the world since questioning and/or acknowledging this part of your identity.
