I am a transpersonal and eclectic therapist, drawing from a variety of approaches to fit the needs of each client. A transpersonal perspective holds that psychotherapy is most powerful when a client can access their spiritual vitality, the part of oneself that is bigger than any particular problem. My work helps clients access this inner ease and well-being, a process I call coming home. Such a process ignites a client’s inner resources for healing and helps a client spontaneously discover their own solutions to psychological challenges.
I work most frequently in one of three modes, all of which uncover a client’s intrinsic resiliency: Somatic Experiencing (SE), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and mindfulness. For couples counseling, I use an approach informed by Imago therapy. All of my work is guided by the belief that the foundation of good psychotherapy is a strong bond between therapist and client. I establish such a therapeutic alliance through presence, active listening, empathy, and compassion. In the safety of such a relationship a client’s process can unfold freely, helping a client make important discoveries about themselves.
I use SE to help those with PTSD or any trauma symptoms. Trauma, known or unknown, underlies many psychological issues, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. I work with all forms of trauma, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse in childhood, adult sexual assault, war trauma, natural disasters, car accidents, and others. SE uses awareness of the body to establish safety and well-being and then dips incrementally into traumatic memories to help the one's nervous system discharge stored energy. As the nervous system comes into regulation, clients experience happiness, ease, and aliveness, and are no longer triggered into traumatic episodes.
I use IFS for clients who are drawn to working with their psyche in terms of “parts,” which are subpersonalities that hold unique perspectives and emotions. Painful events force parts into extreme roles, resulting in inner conflict. Like trauma, such conflict underlies many psychological issues. The conflicts are resolved through inner dialog that is mediated by one’s deeper, wiser self. This dialog helps unload the emotional baggage of each part, which allows parts to move into constructive roles. The process helps one access one's deeper spiritual qualities.
Mindfulness is an approach that heals through present-moment awareness. Mindfulness helps a client contact the “felt sense” of their experience, becoming aware of the sensations in their body as they explore life content. Mindfulness helps one dethrone self-defeating thoughts and emotions, which can dramatically reduce the vicious cognitive cycles that underlie many psychological challenges. Mindfulness helps one contact who they genuinely are, leading to greater happiness, self-esteem, and ability to love.
In couples work, I draw from the principles of Imago therapy, psychodynamic theory, and non-violent communication. Relationship issues are often underlain by unconscious and unresolved childhood pain. My work gets both partners in touch with this material, moving one past the defended aspects of one’s psyche and into what one truly wants and needs. This places previously unsolvable issues in a new perspective, helping couples shift out of conflict and into mutual empathy.
