Therapeutic Approach

Asking questions is sometimes more important than having answers.

I come to this field with a personal and work history rich in experience outside of the therapy world.

First and foremost, I'm a results oriented therapist.  I take my clients therapeutic goals seriously and keep them top of mind throughout our work.  Through honest, open,  judgment free, dialogue I actively assist my clients in reaching a better understanding of the conflicts and meanings underlying their current situation, and help them gain some objective distance as well. This kind of self awareness and perspective change has complex positive effects on its own. Change is only possible through this kind of understanding and acceptance of oneself.

Being solution focused, my primary goal for each session is to facilitate movement and add value. After exploring the presenting problem, I usually start by gathering as much context for my client as I possibly can and often follow up with psychoeducation around the issue at hand.  This generally helps clients better understand what they're going through and why, attaching language and theory to their struggle. This often helps normalize something they may see as unique to them and even shameful.

Once we have a better shared understanding of the problem, active, solution focused interventions can be employed.  I invest considerable time outside of sessions to my clients care. Some of this work involves case conceptualization, furthering my knowledge base and therapeutic techniques, locating resources tailored to individual clients' needs, creating individualized treatment plans, and partnering with my clients' other care providers as needed.  As a result, when faced with what may seem like an obstacle or impasse while working with a client, I'm often able to find a path forward even if it requires extra time and an outside-the-box approach.

I am conversational and non-judgmental while being analytical and intellectually informed. I strive to create an environment in which my clients can safely explore beyond the personal and social boundaries of what is “possible,” “permissible,” “accepted,” and “normal.”

I am sex positive, LGBTQ+ aware and multiculturally competent. I do not underestimate the impact of socio-cultural and political movements on the individual and the interplay between them and one’s inner life and relationships.

I now meet with clients online

I would have never considered offering online therapy had it not been for the pandemic.  However, I have found that my virtual clients have made equal, if not greater progress, often in a shorter period of time as compared to our previous in-person work.  Client feedback has been positive. They report feeling more comfortable in their own spaces and find meeting online more conducive to their busy schedules. On my side of the equation, I think my observant, dynamic, and relaxed relational style allows me to foster the same type of connections with clients via telehealth as I did when working in-person.  That being said, on rare occasions, involving certain types of trauma work for instance, when I do recommend a client see me in person, even if only for a limited number of sessions.

My practice is diverse and I draw from many different approaches and modalities as well as from my knowledge of art, literature, history, popular media, sociology and science, among other fields when approaching your specific concern and relating to your larger context. Identifying points of connection with clients is very important to me. I’m trained in E.M.D.R., which I have used to help clients deal with serious trauma and addictions as well as issues related to personal and professional development. I am also a sex-positive, kink aware therapist.

I work closely with prescribers to help me clients monitor and understand the effects of their medications and have a good working knowledge of many of the meds used to treat psychological and emotional distress. .

There is value in your suffering as well as your success. The therapeutic relationship is designed to help you decide how best to leverage all your experiences to allow you to move forward with more clarity and strength. We are not aiming for perfection. We are aiming for the growth that comes with the flexibility found in vulnerability, authenticity and self awareness.

 

One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making
the darkness conscious
– C.G. Jung
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