Services
About My Clients
Given what’s happening in the world right now, it’s normal to feel depressed, anxious, angry, and frustrated. These are not signs of mental illness. They signal a sense of powerlessness in the face of existential threats and the erosion of of trust in our institutions and societal norms. They signal a loss of community and connection as our lives become ever more digitized and monetized.
My Background and Approach
For over 20 years, I’ve helped individuals who grew up with emotional neglect and abuse. It turns out that this work is well suited to coping with authoritarianism and the erosion of societal norms and trust in institutions. The process begins with making space for all of your feelings, learning to sit gently with them. This builds self-trust and self-empathy while regulating a jangly nervous system. Together we can look at your coping strategies to see what works well and what doesn’t, expanding your options and letting go of things like doomscrolling, that feel good - until they don’t. As therapy progresses, we will look for ways to build your resilience and empowerment. This may involve stepping away from screens, spending time in nature, and developing a deeper sense of community and connection. Though, ultimately, you will explore and decide what you need to do to feel a greater sense of peace in your life, independent of forces that are beyond your control.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I grew up during a time of naive optimism, informed by the voices of feminism and racial justice. Then, over the past 40 years, I’ve witnessed the backlash against progressive, empathic, inclusive values promoted by my teachers and mentors. I became a therapist to help people develop resilence and a sense of personal power as they stepped away from abusive families. And now, I use those same processes to help my clients empower themselves to stay present, engaged, and open-hearted during one of the most painful and difficult moments in recent history. My mission is to support people as they find ways to cope, thrive, and defend progressive values in whatever ways are meaningful to them.
