My Therapeutic Approach
My therapeutic approach is grounded in evidence-based, strength-focused practices. While each modality I draw from offers its own tools and perspectives, they all share a common goal: helping you understand and work with your inner experience in a way that feels supportive and empowering. Instead of staying only in conversation about what’s difficult, we pay attention to what’s happening within you as it unfolds—your emotions, thoughts, and the subtle cues of your nervous system. This experiential focus helps create shifts that are felt, not just reflected on.
I show up as an engaged partner in the work. Rather than sitting back quietly, I offer guidance, structure, and practical tools as you explore what’s meaningful for you. You set the direction and pace—what we focus on, how deep we go, and when we pause. My role is to help you stay connected to yourself throughout the process, creating a space where insight, steadiness, and new possibilities can emerge.
Below, you’ll find a brief overview of the therapeutic approaches I use. Each one brings a different lens, but all of them share the same intention: to help you connect more fully with yourself, understand your patterns with compassion, and cultivate the inner resources needed for meaningful change.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
A trauma-focused therapy that integrates the body into the healing process by helping clients become aware of physical sensations, postures, and movements connected to psychological distress, working with the principle that traumatic experiences are encoded in both mind and body.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) to help people process and integrate traumatic memories by facilitating the brain’s natural healing mechanisms.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy
A psychological treatment for chronic pain that helps people reinterpret pain signals as non-dangerous rather than as indicators of tissue damage, based on the understanding that chronic pain often results from learned neural pathways rather than ongoing physical injury.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
An attachment-based approach that helps people understand and transform their emotional responses and relationship patterns by identifying underlying emotional needs and developing healthier ways of processing and expressing emotions.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
A psychotherapy approach that helps people develop psychological flexibility by accepting difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, while committing to actions aligned with their personal values to create a meaningful life.
Internal Family Systems
A psychotherapy approach that views the mind as composed of distinct “parts” or subpersonalities, each with its own perspective and qualities, and aims to help people access their core “Self” to heal and harmonize these parts.
What to expect in our work together…
More feeling, less thinking.
In therapy, we’re often taught to make sense of things by thinking our way through them—gaining insight, finding meaning, understanding patterns. That kind of clarity can be really helpful and is certainly an important part of the process. But a big part of our work together will involve slowing down and tuning into what you’re feeling in the moment. Instead of trying to “figure it out,” we’ll practice noticing emotions and sensations in a way that feels tolerable—often challenging, but not overwhelming. This kind of gentle, focused attention helps you connect more deeply with yourself, so you’re not just understanding your experience, but actually living and feeling it in a new way.
Developing curiosity.
Developing curiosity is a foundational part of our work together. When we gently turn toward our thoughts, emotions, and body sensations with genuine interest rather than judgment, something important shifts. Curiosity creates just enough space to step back from the intensity of emotion or the grip of self-criticism, allowing us to understand our inner experience with more clarity and compassion. Throughout our work, I weave in psychoeducation—small, meaningful pieces of information about the mind, body, and nervous system—to deepen insight, broaden understanding, and support this growing sense of curiosity and compassion. This open, inquisitive stance not only helps us see ourselves more clearly—it also supports the nervous system in settling, making more room for ease, insight, and choice.
Collaboration.
Collaboration between the therapist and client is a critical element in developing a secure and nurturing environment that promotes growth and change. I approach therapy as an empowering, dynamic process driven by your therapeutic goals. The greater the collaboration between us, the more effective the process will be. You’re encouraged to speak freely, especially if something in our sessions doesn’t feel quite right—maybe the pace feels off, the structure isn’t fitting, or you notice shifts in your energy or motivation. Your reflections help shape the process and are an essential part of your therapy.
Considering the larger context.
I approach therapy with a commitment to cultural humility. This means I’m continually examining my own social and cultural identities, the privilege I hold, and the power dynamics that can naturally arise in a therapeutic relationship. I understand that your experiences are shaped not only by your personal history, but also by the broader social, cultural, and systemic contexts in which you live—and the same is true for me. I aim to remain sensitive to these dynamics so that your full context is acknowledged and respected, and to address together any ways these dynamics may shape our work. This is one of the many reasons collaboration is central to the process, helping us build a therapeutic relationship that truly supports your healing and growth.
Pacing is important.
Healing has its own rhythm. While there may be an understandable urgency to move forward—to feel better, to gain insight, or to make change—it’s essential that we honor the pace that feels right for all of you. Some parts may be ready to go deeper, while others may need to slow down and find steadiness first. Our work includes noticing these different needs, finding balance, and consistently checking in so that the process feels steady, safe, and aligned with your capacity in each moment.
Things may feel harder before they feel easier.
The therapeutic process isn’t only about feeling better—it’s about getting better at feeling. Emotions—both pleasant and painful—are vital parts of being alive. Therapy offers a space to approach all emotions with greater awareness and compassion. As we work together, you’ll begin to build the capacity to stay with inner experiences that once felt too overwhelming, developing a kinder, more gentle relationship with yourself. And along the way, it’s completely normal if things feel a bit harder before they start to ease—bringing long-buried emotions to the surface can be uncomfortable at first. But over time, this ability to be with discomfort—rather than fear, resist, or avoid it—creates the conditions for true healing and deeper wellbeing.
A little levity.
It’s no surprise that therapy can get really tender and heavy at times, so I try to bring in lightness whenever it feels right. That might mean sharing a little laugh together or offering a gentle moment of humor to help your nervous system stay steady. I also might share my own anecdotes or personal experiences at times because it can be another meaningful way for us to learn, connect, and remember how deeply human it is to struggle. These moments can help you feel less alone in the process and remind us both that healing isn’t something you have to do in isolation. I hope these small moments of connection and warmth can make the harder parts of therapy feel a little more grounded and manageable.
Beyond the therapy room.
Therapy is most effective when it extends beyond our time together. Part of our work will be exploring ways to carry the work into your daily life—perhaps by developing small, grounding practices, engaging with a piece of reading, or finding quiet moments of reflection. These practices help the insights from therapy take root, making the process more meaningful and effective. I also recognize that life can be full and slowing down isn’t always easy, so our focus will be on finding approaches that feel realistic, compassionate, and supportive for you.
Areas of Focus
People who come to me for therapy may be facing a variety of concerns, such as:
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Anxiety can feel like living in a body that’s always bracing — a mind that won’t slow down, or a sense of being on alert even when nothing is wrong. It can show up as worry, restlessness, tension, or difficulty being present. Therapy can help you understand what your anxiety is trying to protect you from and find steadier ways to meet what’s beneath it.
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Depression often brings a heavy quiet — a sense of numbness, disconnection, or exhaustion that makes everyday life feel harder than it should. It can feel like losing contact with yourself or with the things that once brought meaning. Together, we work gently to reconnect you with your inner resources, your aliveness, and the possibility of feeling more fully again.
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Trauma can live in the body long after the event has passed, shaping how you feel, react, and relate to others. You might experience overwhelm, shutdown, hypervigilance, or a sense of not feeling like yourself. In therapy, we move at a pace that feels safe, helping you rebuild a sense of stability, trust, and connection with your own body and emotions.
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Struggles with food and body image often come from a deeper place — attempts to find control, soothe pain, or manage overwhelming feelings. You may feel stuck in cycles of restriction, bingeing, shame, or self-criticism. Therapy offers a compassionate space to understand the emotional roots of these patterns and support you in rebuilding a more peaceful relationship with your body and yourself.
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Chronic pain affects not just the body, but the whole experience of living — draining energy, narrowing your world, and impacting mood, sleep, and connection. It can feel isolating or like your body has turned against you. Through a mindful, somatic approach, we explore ways to soften the struggle, reconnect with your body, and support a life that feels more spacious and livable.
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Relationship struggles often arise from patterns that feel familiar yet painful — difficulty communicating, feeling unseen or misunderstood, repeating old dynamics, or losing your sense of self. Whether the focus is partners, family, or friendships, therapy helps you understand these patterns with compassion and develop new ways of relating that feel more grounding and authentic.