My Approach

You might be asking yourself if therapy is worth the investment and commitment. Questions like...

How do I choose the right professional? Would it be better to handle this on my own? What if treatment doesn't seem to work and I want to go in a different direction? How can I bring up my concerns?

 

I welcome these questions. Therapy is a partnership, a collaboration. I want to help you stop putting out fires and find the origin of what is going on. Where does emotional regulation come from so we can face adversity in the future? How can we openly share vulnerabilities, needs, and fears with our loved ones? There is a solid body of neuroscience research showing that people respond to stress more favorably--both emotionally and physiologically--when they have strong, healthy relationships. Brain scans, particularly fMRI studies, have helped illustrate how connection buffers the stress response.

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I use family systems theory and attachment theory as a foundation to guide my work. Here is one sample of how treatment could be structured:

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History and assessment

• Build therapeutic trust, complete genogram and timeline of events, discuss additional assessment needs, and current landscape of support system

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Relationship work

• Where does emotional regulation come from? How did we learn how to cope with adversity?

• Identify negative cycles and access underlying emotions that lie beneath the conflict

• Education about neurodevelopmental challenges and the impact on various subsystems

• Provide parenting support, address personal wellness, understand how we connect in our relationships (attachment style), what messages have we unknowingly taken from our family of origin, inner child work, communication patterns, etc.

 

Integration phase

• Connection to resources/other providers as needed for specialized support (medical, education, etc.)

• Shift in lifestyle and wellness

• Practice new skills learned