Elizabeth Riley (She/Her)

Feel like you keep going in circles during arguments? I help couples to understand the negative cycles they've gotten stuck in, and utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy to help address the underlying hurts and fears so that healthier patterns can develop. This helps to rebuild attachment and can even save couples who are suffering from betrayal trauma.

When the panic sets in and the thoughts start racing, I am here to help you learn how to navigate the storm. I help give tools to cope with the current symptoms of anxiety while working to uncover and heal the source of it. While for some people anxiety may never go away, learning how to get it under control can dramatically improve quality of life.

I believe no one should be judged for who they love or who they are. I make sure to provide a safe, supportive environment so that everyone can show up as their most authentic self. When we feel comfortable to be ourselves and feel accepted, we can more easily work on the issues that bring us into the therapy room in the first place.

IFS takes a non-pathologizing approach, identifying the different Parts within someone and the roles those Parts play (inner critic, worrier, etc.) in order to help create a more cohesive Self instead of a distressed Self. Each Part is there for a reason, with ultimately good intentions, but they can cause us to get in our own way when Parts are at odds with each other or get too overwhelmed. My goal when utilizing IFS is help make harmony out of chaos.

Family Systems theory generally holds that issues arise when, somewhere along the way, roles and power structures got confused or muddied between family members. This can look like a parent roping a child into disputes, which makes children play "middle man", or perhaps even secret-keeping between family members. This leads to frustration, confusion, and resentment. My goal when utilizing Family Systems theory is to help reset healthy boundaries within the family.

EFT focuses on identifying attachment injuries, which have ruptured trust and security in the relationship. In the therapy room, these attachment injuries are able to be healed through what are called "corrective emotional experiences", where couples are able to be brave and vulnerable with one another. When we can explore the underlying, more scary emotions (like fear), the reactive "bodyguard" emotions (like anger) can take a backseat to allow for secure bonds to be rebuilt.