Khalil Gallop (he/him/his)

Much of the work in psychodynamic therapy focuses on attachment models which has an indubitable impact on how an individual relates to themselves and the people around them.

In my practice, I tackle historical/intergenerational trauma through a relational and Bowenian standpoint which seeks to analyze the prevailing themes in familial relationships that have been internalized and how to challenge them.

With relational psychodynamic therapy, much of the work done in sessions focuses on the quality of the client's relationships and the insights that can be extracted from them. Often times, there are observable patterns in relation to need and attachment that can be traced to formative experiences. This is meant to understand more about what needs are being represented or underrepresented in the dynamics we have with our loved ones.

I pull from various psychoanalytic influences such as Alfred Adler, Heinz Kohut, Nancy McWilliams, Owen Renik, and Teri Quatman. In practice, the premise of psychoanalytic therapy is making the unconscious content of our psyche conscious. This works through recollecting past experiences and identifying recurring themes. In tandem with this exploration, there's a focus on the therapeutic alliance and what thoughts or emotions might be elicited as the therapist engages the client.

With person-centered therapy, my focus is in developing a robust alliance between ourselves. For some clients, therapy may be seen as a place to be labeled and given a solution to solve one's problems in life. I push back on this and explore the person over the diagnosis. Understanding the client's definition of "healthy" and empowering the innate desire towards resilience that humans have is paramount and try my best to practice this with my clients.

For many people, emotions are the most important elements that are involved in the way that we relate to ourselves, the people around us, and the environment that we inhabit. With emotionally focused therapy, I work with the client in identifying their emotions and understanding the greater insights that exist behind them. In sessions, I task clients to sit with the emotional content of their experiences and challenge potential avoidance to this.