My Approach

 

Therapy That Meets You Where You Are

I believe therapy works best when it is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in genuine connection.

You are the expert on your own life. My role is to bring curiosity, clinical knowledge, perspective, and therapeutic tools to help you better understand what you're experiencing and create meaningful change.

I don't believe therapy should be about telling you what to do. Instead, we'll work together to understand the patterns that may be keeping you stuck, explore what is underneath them, and develop new ways of responding.

 

Relational & Attachment-Informed

Relationships are at the center of so much of our emotional lives.

Our early experiences and relationships can shape how we understand ourselves, how we connect with others, and how we respond when we feel hurt, rejected, overwhelmed, or unsafe.

I use a relational and attachment-informed perspective to help clients recognize these patterns and develop healthier ways of relating—to themselves and to the people they care about.

For couples, this can mean learning to recognize the cycle you become caught in rather than viewing your partner as the problem.

For individuals, it can mean understanding how past experiences continue to influence present-day relationships, boundaries, self-worth, and emotional responses.

 

Trauma-Informed Care

I believe that therapy should feel emotionally and psychologically safe.

A trauma-informed approach recognizes that difficult experiences can influence the way we think, feel, relate, and respond to stress—even when we don't consciously connect our current reactions to the past.

Our work will move at a pace that respects your individual needs and readiness. I strive to create a therapeutic environment where you can explore difficult experiences without judgment or shame.

 

Evidence-Based & Integrative

I draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches and tailor them to the individual or relationship rather than relying on a single method.

My clinical approach may incorporate:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Exploring the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and developing more helpful ways of responding.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Developing psychological flexibility and learning to move toward what matters even when difficult thoughts or emotions are present.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Building skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Attachment-Based Approaches
Understanding how attachment experiences influence relationships, emotional needs, and patterns of connection.

Mindfulness
Developing greater awareness of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without immediately reacting to them.

EMDR
I have completed EMDR training and incorporate trauma-informed EMDR work when clinically appropriate.

Gottman-Informed Concepts
Incorporating relationship research and concepts that support healthier communication, connection, and conflict management.

Relational Life Therapy-Informed Work
Drawing from relational concepts that emphasize personal responsibility, boundaries, and healthier patterns of relating.

 

Mind-Body Awareness

My professional background also includes training in breathwork, mindfulness, yoga, and other mind-body practices.

These experiences have shaped the way I understand the connection between emotional experiences and the body.

When appropriate, I may incorporate grounding, breath awareness, mindfulness, or other experiential practices into therapy.

These practices are used as complementary tools within the broader therapeutic process.

 

Recovery-Informed

My nearly three decades of experience in addiction counseling and recovery is another important part of my clinical perspective.

I hold a CADC III credential and understand the ways addiction can affect not only an individual but also relationships, families, and emotional well-being.

My experience allows me to bring a recovery-informed perspective to both individual and couples therapy.

 

Compassionate & Appropriately Challenging

I believe therapy should be a place where you feel accepted and where you can be challenged to look at things differently when doing so can support growth.

Sometimes healing requires compassion and understanding.

Sometimes it requires taking responsibility, setting a boundary, having a difficult conversation, or recognizing a pattern that isn't serving you anymore.

My goal is to create enough safety for honest exploration while also helping you move toward meaningful change.

 

A Collaborative Process

There isn't one right way to do therapy.

Your goals, history, personality, relationships, and circumstances all matter.

We'll work together to determine what is most helpful for you rather than forcing you into a predetermined treatment model.

If you're looking for a therapist and wondering whether we might be a good fit, I invite you to reach out.