Come Back to Yourself
Yes, many of us have dealt with stress, anxiety, and life changes before. Some of those things are hard to talk about. Sometimes we feel ashamed and guilty for struggling, for not knowing how to change the things that keep us stuck. You don't have to figure it alone.
I work with individuals who have just entered adulthood, those who've counted several decades, and everyone in between. And I remember those feelings of being stuck, feeling lost, and feeling like I should be feeling this way. Working with a therapist was one of the best choices I made in my life and created a passion for working with others who are struggling and need a little extra support on their own life paths.
When I work with you as an individual, I make sure you feel safe to be your true, authentic self so you can unpack the baggage you've been carrying, and maybe didn't enough know you had. Therapy is collaborative; you are the expert on your own experiences and needs! Together we'll explore what circumstances and past experiences may be influencing your current stress. We'll work toward helping you develop and enhance your grounding skills, decision-making skills, and figure out what other tools you need to thrive in your life.
While your goals are first and foremost, I typically work slowly with new clients, getting to know what your story is, what already has and hasn't worked for you, and learning about your family history. Depending on what works best for you, tools such as mindfulness, body-based somatic processing, and CBT might come into play.
Individual Therapy
Talk Therapy
Talk therapy is the most common form of therapy, and is interspersed throughout our sessions regardless of the topic. I use talk therapy as a way to compassionately and sympathetically meet you where you are. Your story is important to me, so much of our therapy will be Narrative-based. I will also challenge any cognitive distortions that arise through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Parts work is also a wonderful way to explore the parts of us that maybe protect us a little too much, or create barriers that contribute to stuckness. My strengths-based humanistic approach will help you feel comfortable and understood.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Growing your awareness is often the first step in making change. Grounding exercises such as meditation keep our therapy space calm and safe, so you can share what hurts and still feel okay afterward. Many sessions may begin or end with a short mindfulness exercise. I use a trauma-informed approach to invite you to learn what feels good and let go of what doesn't. Don't worry if meditation isn't your thing! Awareness and mindfulness can also be active and engaging and are an important part of growing or reconnecting to your body.
Somatic Processing
Talk therapy is a wonderful tool, but it can only do so much. Our bodies and our nervous systems can hold on to difficult experiences and create tension, anxiety, and difficult stress responses. Somatic (body-based) tools help you get in touch with your body and move from dis-ease to ease. When I work with the body, I help you get in touch with emotion as a sensation, and work from the "bottom-up" to clear out what is no longer serving you. Somatic therapy and EMDR are both examples of body-based therapy. I am trained in somatic processing and somatic EMDR.
COMMON ISSUES I WORK WITH
-
Anxiety
-
Self-Esteem
-
Life Transitions
-
Attachment and Boundaries
-
Self-compassion
-
Family and Relational Stress
-
Gender Oppression
-
Sex and Sexuality
-
Trauma
I am Neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, and Kink affirming, and work daily to be aware of and create an anti-oppressive and anti-ablist space for therapy. I strive to be culturally responsive and recognize that each individual has their own experience of their culture and intersectionality, and I also do not always get it right. Know that I will correct my blind spots.
