My Approach

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

How do I choose the right professional and do they have the specific expertise I am looking for? Will I get the results I am looking for? Will I feel comfortable? What does the timeline look like? Will I be able to truly collaborate and bring up my concerns or will I feel judged?

I welcome these questions. Therapy is a partnership, a collaboration. I want to help you stop putting out fires and get to 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.

I use family systems theory and attachment theory as a foundation to guide my work. Here is one sample of how our work together might be structured into different phases:

History and assessment

Understand the main concerns for seeking out therapy, build comfort/trust, complete genogram and timeline of significant life events, discuss additional assessment needs if any, and learn about the landscape of your support system

Relationship work

Where does emotional regulation come from? How did we learn (or not learn) how to cope with adversity?
Identify and dislodge negative cycle; access underlying emotions, unmet needs, and hopes that lie beneath the conflict
Education about our own unique neurobiology and the impact on various subsystems and ways we relate
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/adaptive 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