My Practice

Emotional, psychological, and interpersonal/social growth is a continual process of self transformation and change. At points when one feels stuck or confused, or when life just isn't working, it often helps to connect with a therapist.  I provide a safe space where you can be, or recover/rediscover, your authentic self; deepen the emotional connection with yourself and others; clarify your thoughts, beliefs, and values; consider new ways of being in the world and with others; develop healthier adaptive strategies for relating to yourself and others; and work through past and present griefs, losses, and traumas.

 

To address these, and other challenges, collaboratively with clients, my clinical training after graduation has focussed on the following areas:  Psychodynamic/psychoanalytic long-term work with individuals and couples; relational/interpersonal and systems-oriented work with couples, individuals, and families; work with children and play therapy; dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness; interpersonal neurobiology and attachment theory; and employee assistance program work focused on short-term assessment and solution-focused work, for example, stress management and workplace issues.

 

My belief, however, is that the client's needs and wants supersede any theoretical orientation, so I try to use an eclectic approach.  Collaboratively, we will work together to define your presenting concerns and treatment goals in therapy and then decide how best to meet those needs.  This assessment process can often take up to three sessions.  I will also request information from you regarding your familial, educational, social, medical, and vocational history, plus other information you feel is relevant to our work.  If we decide I am unable to meet your therapeutic needs, I will give you appropriate referrals.

 

I firmly believe also that the fittedness or "click" of the therapeutic relationship between a therapist and a client is as important as the therapist's theoretical orientation.  So we will discuss initially if you feel comfortable working with me as your therapist and if my style of practicing psychotherapy feels like a comfortable match for you. Research has shown that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is paramount, ultimately, in the success of the treatment process so I try, during the work, to address how you and I are working together as a therapeutic team.

 

I am a superb listener, and will seek to help you develop unconditional acceptance and love for yourself and others; to strengthen your sense of self and, therefore, to relate more authentically and intimately in your relationships; and to imagine new possibilities for your life.  I look forward to meeting you.