Services
- Individual
- Adolescent/Teen
About My Clients
I specialize in working with high achievers who are constantly plagued with fears that someday soon, the whole house of cards is going to collapse. Up to this point you've been managing, but each passing year it takes more and more effort. Or maybe you've been following all the rules only to find that life is not fulfilling its side of the bargain. Where is all the peace and happiness and contentment that's supposed to be at the top of the mountain you've been climbing this whole time??
My Background and Approach
I have a mostly CBT background - meaning we examine your internal process: the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors that you experience in a given moment. We'll practice noticing it all. But then we go deeper. We'll identify the feelings that maybe you shy away from - the guilt, the shame, the helplessness and we'll practice getting to know it. That probably sounds a bit fluffy, but in practice we're identifying the points where you feel activated or overwhelmed, the point at which you may turn away and engage in some behaviors (bingeing, panicking, picking skin, mindless scrolling, yelling, drinking) to numb out a bit. We zoom in to that moment, explore it, which in turn gives you more space to figure out how you want to be able respond. I also offer EMDR, which for some folks can serve as an accelerant to processing through some old muck.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I am endlessly fascinated by the human experience. I'm not a huge proponent of diagnostic labels, and while I use them if required, I prefer to see my clients as whole and unique people whose lives don't usually fit in tidy little boxes. I try to practice what I preach, by being open to whatever life has in store, and attempting to let go of my own notions around what "should" be. I frequently use parts work as a means to learn more about your "shoulds". We all have that internal part that monitors our every move and is quick to note when we (or others/the world) fall short. I enjoy getting to know the rule-following part, or the internal rebels who say F it and binge watch an entire season of Love is Blind while mindlessly clearing out a row of Oreos. I have those parts too. My rule-monitor is happiest when I'm checking things off my to-do list and staying on task. My rebel is happiest when I do what feels good in the moment. Both parts are needed, as I'm sure all of yours are too.