Services
About My Clients
When they first come to therapy, my clients feel unappreciated at work and by family, and as if they don’t recognize themselves when they look in the mirror. Their brains are running a mile a minute, reviewing all the things to do and rehashing what's already done. They wake at 3 in the morning adding tasks to their "to do" list. Well-meaning people tell them that they should be grateful, so they feel embarrassed guilty that they are not happy.
My Background and Approach
I am an Adlerian therapist, a psychodynamic approach that emphasizes the importance of childhood, family, and social relationships. I also employ a Relational-Cultural/Feminist lens, considering the influence of gender identity, culture, sexual orientation, power, privilege and oppression in society. Before I started my dream job (HINT: this one), I worked in investments, so I can relate to some of your experiences. If you want a therapist that just sagely nods, you many not like me. I am a good listener but value a healthy dialogue with clients and I can offer some valuable insights. We laugh in my sessions. Not at wildly inappropriate moments, I hope, but if you want a therapist who is cool and aloof, again, that’s not me. If you want a guru or spiritual adviser, nope. I prepare between sessions. I have a pretty good memory of what you’ve already told me. I am on time. I will tell you if I am worried about you. I give homework (but I don’t grade you).
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
Some therapists would say that their personal beliefs do not affect their work. While I appreciate that view, I actually believe that we all bring our biases and prejudices with us each day and that we have an obligation to identify and work on these issues all the time. For example, I emphatically support a relational-cultural/feminist view which promotes equality and considers the influence of gender identity, culture, sexual orientation, power, privilege, and oppression in society. I see myself as an advocate for women who have experienced negative, limiting stereotypes that pressure them into assuming disproportionate responsibility for undervalued work, both at work and at home. The impact from such harmful expectations is even greater for people of color, those with non-conforming gender and/or sexual identities, people in the disabled community, and members of other non-majority cultures. Therapeutically addressing these forces can provide great relief from distress.