My Services
Emotion Focused Therapy
Emotional processes in the brain send your nervous system messages that tell you whether you are safe, in danger, or in need of anything. When you are repeatedly exposed to events that evoke powerful emotional states, such as trauma or loss, you risk developing dysfunctional emotional schemas. These are built-in, rigid and fixed emotional responses that can manifest in the following way:
Lacking OR becoming painfully aware of emotions
Underregulated OR overregulated emotional processing
When I use emotion-focused techniques, I attempt to understand how your lived experiences have shaped your own emotional schema, and how we can use emotions to transform emotions. This involves talking about formative painful experiences, so that we can facilitate adaptive emotional responses to that pain.
As we work together, my hope for you is that we will be able to replace maladaptive emotions such as shame, anger, guilt and fear, with adaptive emotions such as pride, assertive anger, acceptance and courage.
Internal Family Systems
Just like in our external families, we all have internal family systems comprised of different parts (not unlike the different members of our families), with different beliefs, roles, expectations, emotions and experiences.
Sometimes, we exile certain parts of ourselves that cause us too much pain, or other parts take on extreme roles that cause us more harm than good.
When I use internal family systems in my work with clients, I focus on working with, rather than against each part - getting to know their stories and the burdens they carry.
What I like most about parts work is that it allows clients to become self-empowered as they learn to tune into different parts of themselves and guide their own internal systems towards a direction of healing opposed to self-destruction. Whenever I have the pleasure of witnessing this kind of internal change, I am always astounded by the natural, human capacity for self-transformation.
Inner Child Work
As children, we experience the world through a lens of wonder, innocence, playfulness and curiosity. Throughout childhood, we are told to behave a certain way, and as we grow older, we take on responsibilities that necessitate logical, adult thinking. Overtime, we loose sight of our child-like qualities, and in extreme cases - trauma strips us of our childhood completely.
When I use inner child work, I help clients re-connect with their child-like qualities so that they can become the best, most authentic version of themselves. Sometimes, this involves using props like photographs of our child selves, crayons, playdough, music or other activities that allow access to the creative regions of the brain that are most active as children. At other times, it involves going back in time and having a conversation with our younger selves so that we can give them exactly what they needed.
My favorite thing about inner child work is that just like children - it is playful, imaginative and open-minded.
Narrative Therapy
You have the capacity to create meaning through the stories that you tell about yourself, others and the world.
My approach to narrative therapy begins with unraveling your own unique and intricate life story to locate the source of the problem. From there, I help you separate yourself from the problem - creating space for new meaning to emerge.
My favorite part about narrative therapy is witnessing the impact of self-discovery on clients' lives and relationships. I look forward to deconstructing and re-writing a life story with you that highlights your strengths and capacities, allowing for personal growth and fulfillment.
Strength-Based and Trauma-Informed
For me a strength-based and trauma-informed approach go hand-in hand.
When we experience trauma, or any form of suffering - our brains and bodies quickly adapt through fight, flight, freeze and faun responses.
For instance, when we are threatened and have no escape (whether this threat is physical or emotional) - it is vital to our survival and well-being that our nervous systems go into a state of collapse in order to conserve resources.
In this way, our responses to danger, and physical and emotional pain are how we protect ourselves, and continue living.
The problem is, sometimes long after the threat has disappeared - we continue trying to protect ourselves in ways that hinder rather than help.
In our work together, you can expect to explore the ways in which your own internal systems have learned to adapt and respond to adversity, and how this has helped you survive and function. My desire is to do this from a non-judgmental and accepting stance,
Accelerated Experimental-Dynamic Psychotherapy
So much of the work done in therapy exists on an experiential level, and happens deep inside the part of your brain associated with emotional processing - which becomes activated when our attention is drawn towards our in-the-moment experiences.
Given that the transformation that occurs throughout therapy happens internally, therapy must be founded on building an awareness of your internal world.
AEDP is an approach that emphasizes our awareness of relational, and emotional experiences that create change - as they are happening.
For many individuals (especially those that have experienced trauma that necessitated disconnection to ones body and emotions) there are what we call defenses and “inhibitory emotions” blocking access to our natural ability to process and heal from our experiences.
In our work together, it is my role to help you unlock your inherent healing capacities by guiding you towards an awareness of your in-the-moment experiences as we process emotions.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps you build a greater tolerance for distress, as it emphasizes the non-judgmental acceptance of in-the-moment experiences.
I like to think of mindfulness as a lifestyle or way of being, rather than a series of skills that can be acquired and used when you are experiencing stress.
I hold a deep respect for individuality when I incorporate mindfulness into my work with clients by providing them with practical tools that are accessible to each person, based on their specific strengths and limitations.
My hope is that we can work together to increase your ability to live in-the-moment and find ways applicable to you as an individual to live with more self-compassion.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a brain-based therapeutic technique that helps clients process trauma held deep inside the subcortical regions (responsible for emotional regulation) of the brain.
Brainspotting is based on the idea that certain eye-positions correspond with emotional states, imagery, memories and sensations associated with particular events.
When we locate a brainspot, we gain access to traumas which allows us to process them.
Brainspotting is a great way to help you not only process emotions, but become attuned to bodily sensations that are connected to emotional states.
