Psychodynamic Therapy

I was trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the University of Chicago. Psychodynamic therapy, combined with other approaches, such as energy therapy techniques can be very effective in treating a number of conditions. That said, I don't get stuck on one or two approaches. That would be like a medical doctor who only prescibes penicillin. A good therapist needs a lot of tools in his or her toolbox.

Through the therapeutic journey, it offers the space to feel seen and emotionally held. I utilize a psychodynamic approach that is based in Attachment Theory as our childhood impacts our adulthood relationships. Part of the therapeutic journey is building a trust-based relationship. This is achieved through another perspective developed by Irvin Yalom, utilizing the here-and-now within the therapeutic relationship.

Psychodynamic therapy can help people improve their quality of life by helping them gain a better understanding of the way they think and feel. The idea is that this will improve their ability to make choices, relate to others, and forge the kind of life they would like to live.

Psychodynamic therapy is the evolution of Freudian psychoanalyst into the world of today. Yes, we will discuss your childhood. Yes, we will see how your relationship with your parents has shaped your view of the world. However, we take this knowledge and use it to integrate that trauma. When this trauma is integrated into your self-concept, it stops being painful and starts to be source of strength. We pride ourselves in turning pain into power.

Trust between therapist and client must be developed before implementing Psychodynamic Therapy. I believe that getting your whole story - including experiences during your childhood and formative years - is important for a deep understanding of who you are. When you are able to connect your past and present selves, a new self-awareness emerges and healing can more easily take place. I have seen a positive impact for clients suffering from conditions such as anxiety, shame, and panic disorders.

Our therapists offer their own eclectic approach, catered to each individual client, while also having a foundation in attachment based, psychodynamic therapy. We address current needs while also looking back at your past to relate where these patterns come from.

My graduate training program had a particular emphasis on relational psychodynamic psychotherapy, and I've attended numerous trainings and workshops on this orientation. In this type of therapy, there is a specific focus not only on your relationships, but also on our therapeutic relationship. Together we create a unique dynamic based on our specific backgrounds and, often unconsciously, recreate patterns from your history that allow us to work through them within the relationship itself.

I consider psychodynamic theory to be the theoretical foundation of my Practice. Broadly, psychodynamic therapy is concerned with exploring one’s patterns over time, especially in relationships. The aim is to understand the nature of one's relationships, how said relationships have shaped oneself over time, and how they impact us in the here-and-now. Success in psychodynamic therapy generally shows up as gained self-understanding, a more fortified sense of self, and improved relationships.

This is my home base. I work from (mostly) modern theories drawn originally from Freud. (Yes - THAT Freud.) How this plays out is that we’ll talk a lot about what is happening inside of you (your dynamics), especially your feelings, and working on inner changes. We’ll look at your relationships with others, including your relationship with me. We will talk about your caregivers in early life and how that influences who you are today. Goals include a fuller life, resilience, and self-acceptance.

Modern Psychodynamic approaches take in the developmental history and context of each person's life up to this moment. Understanding the self can lend information about conscious and unconscious motivations for thoughts, feelings, and behaviors manifested in the present. This approach can help you understand your patterns, develop awareness, and set the course for change in your life.

I am primarily interested in interpersonal and object relations theory, where the therapist creates a base used by the client to grow themselves. I also think behavioral therapy doesn't work without understand development and relationships that are occurring in the present or have occurred in the past. Psychodynamic therapy can look toward trauma as a means to understand core beliefs, for example.

My pre-licensure clinical training has extensively been in Psychodynamic Therapy.

I was trained in Relational Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, which is a method of treatment grounded in depth psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, and the sacredness of the therapeutic relationship. Fundamentally, I believe what has been broken in relationship must be healed in relationship, and this primary belief impacts all other aspects of the therapeutic experience. Though I use other modalities as well, psychodynamic psychotherapy is the foundational pillar of my work as a therapist.