A little bit about my practice…

First of all, I want to offer a warm welcome and say congrats on taking a step towards achieving whatever goals or change you are looking for. I know sometimes even getting this far is not easy.

I am passionate about helping my clients work through their challenges, function more effectively, and gain psychological flexibility alongside self compassion. I believe that through meaningful relationships and thinking beyond the paradigms prescribed by society, people can achieve outcomes in which they find satisfaction and peace.

As a social worker I have been trained to understand the person in their environment, meaning that I consider not only what the person is struggling with on an individual level, but also the roles that systemic and institutional factors play in the person’s experience, as well as how our multiple identities intersect and lead us to experience a variety of privileges and/or oppressions.

I work with women in particular and take the context of being a woman in today’s society, all of the roles we fill, and all of the expectations placed on us into account in our work together. In this way, we can come to understand our patterns, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in both a personal sense as well as in a broader context.

In my practice I work with women experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, anxiety, family and other relationship difficulties, mild to moderate depression, life transitions, and occupational stress. I also work with people struggling with insomnia using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). I engage with individuals in a client-centered, acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy informed model, using mindfulness techniques and value-based goal setting, to work towards overcoming acute stressors and achieving realistic, healthy goals.

My therapy philosophy

A good fit = best chance for growth and progress

In my practice, fit is essential. Research shows us that regardless of the kind of therapy being done, the biggest predictor of progress in therapy is the strength of the therapeutic relationship - if the fit is right, the work can flow. This is one of the foundational elements of how I work. I do a phone screen with all potential clients for both of us to assess fit.

What does a good fit look like?

• You feel heard by your therapist

• You feel accepted by your therapist and importantly don’t feel judged

• You feel safe in the relationship and that you can trust the therapist with your personal and vulnerable information

• Your therapist isn’t your friend -  they offer you warm and consistent support within healthy and appropriate boundaries

• Your therapist may push you at times or may offer an interpretation that is different from how you understand things, but they do so in a way that makes you feel respected and leaves room for exploration together

• The work is collaborative and your therapist receives your feedback and incorporates it into their individualized work with you

Collaboration is key

I believe that therapy is a collaborative process in that it requires work and dedication from both parties. I think of it as not me leading you, not you leading me, but the two of us working side by side. As your therapist, I will help facilitate growth and change. Progress in therapy depends a lot on your willingness to engage in this process, which requires an investment in time, energy, and money. Just as you invest, I will invest too.

In order to be the best therapist for you, I attend trainings, engage in peer consultation, and carry a caseload that allows me to be present for you and invest in you and your growth. I can promise to support you and do my very best to understand you and work with you towards your goals.

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral theory says that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all linked. We can’t access emotion change directly - you can’t just feel happy or feel angry upon command. If you could, you wouldn’t be here! But we can change our behaviors and shift our thought patterns that then can indirectly bring about emotion change. If you can think or do differently, then you can feel differently.

Using CBT tools, we can examine your thought patterns, pinpoint thought errors, and help you develop alternative, more effective ways of thinking. We can also examine how your behaviors may be making you feel worse and look at how you can experiment with behavior change to bring about positive emotion change. CBT can be helpful across so many different challenges, whether you are struggling with postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, postpartum OCD, depression, anxiety, OCD, difficult relationship patterns, etc.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is known as a third wave behavioral therapy, developed after CBT. In ACT (pronounced as the word, not the letters like CBT is), there are 6 principles focused on - acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self as context, values, and committed action. 

• Acceptance - acceptance is the opposite of avoiding experiences. Developing acceptance means being able to say, “okay this is how things are.” It doesn’t mean welcoming, liking, or wanting these things, but it’s simple acknowledging them as they are. This can allow you to stop struggling against the reality, like by wishing things were different, and help you move into meaningful action, even if that action is simply to be with a feeling instead of pushing it away.

• Cognitive defusion - defusion helps us to change the way that we engage with and relate to our own thoughts and feelings. Through defusion, we can reduce our attachment to our thoughts and feelings which can help us relate to them in a way where they no longer feel like they rule our lives.

• Being present - constantly, non-judgmentally noticing what is happening in the moment helps us to be aware of our experiences and can help us choose responses instead of reacting to things around us. When we are present, we can be more flexible and also be able to align more with what is really important and act in line with what we value.

• Self as context - you can be aware of your own flow of experiences without being attached to them or being invested in which particular experiences occur. As a result, you can develop space from your own experiences and begin to observe and get curious about them, instead of consumed by them.

• Values - values are what guides the quality with which you want to live your life. Unlike goals, values can’t be achieved, they are lived. When we get clear on what our values are and make choices that align us with our values, we can life more fulfilled, meaningful lives.

• Committed action - committed action is in the end what we are always shooting for - action that is informed by our values. This is the behavioral part of ACT that intersects with CBT. In committed action, we can create goals that are informed by values and help you move more in the direction that you want your life to go in. 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a therapeutic approach designed to relieve distress associated with traumatic memories. This powerful approach can help alleviate symptoms from disturbing life events in much less time than traditional psychotherapy. By using the nervous system’s innate processing system, EMDR helps remove issues that disturbing life events created to allow for the processing system to move towards healing. This treatment is administered through a protocol and can bring great relief for people who are suffering from the effects of trauma.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Interpersonal Psychotherapy, IPT, is a kind of therapy that focuses on interpersonal issues. It is an evidence-based approach that has been shown to be effective with a wide range of disorders, particularly useful with women struggling with postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. IPT targets three important areas - resolving symptoms, improving functioning in your relationships with other people, and increasing social support. In IPT we look at how you tend to relate to others in relationships and how we can help you improve communication, reduce conflict, and get more of what you need from the supports in your life, including sometimes building new supports.

A little about me…