My Approach

Much of my work revolves around relationships (of all kinds!) in some way or another. This includes working with themes like:

  • Processing present-day effects of relational/attachment trauma from childhood or past relationships

  • Understanding attachment styles and other relational cycles & patterns

  • Clarifying underlying feelings & needs in relationships

  • Improving and deepening communication and connection

  • Working through specific relationship conflicts/ ruptures to restore connection

Other particular areas of interest include working with clients who are:

  • Adjusting to life transitions like a new job, break-up, move, becoming a parent, losses, etc.

  • Wondering about root causes of their symptoms of anxiety and depression

  • Grappling with big life questions around meaning, direction & belonging

  • Simply curious about freely exploring their inner lives in a way they haven’t had the opportunity to, or returning to doing this after some time away

I will gladly provide you with referrals when I believe I am not the best fit for your needs. My work does not include: Treatment focused only on single diagnoses or modalities (such as treatment for ADHD or OCD or specific modalities like EMDR or DBT), or documentation for disability claims, workplace accommodations, gender-affirming care, or legal matters. I am also not the right fit for clients with a high level of suicidal or homicidal ideation, or who are just stepping down from a recent hospitalization or inpatient program.

Modalities

  • Psychodynamic therapy focuses on understanding how past experiences & relationships and unconscious patterns shape your life. Rather than focusing only on symptom reduction, this approach seeks to develop deeper insight into the underlying, root causes of behaviors and patterns.

    Working from a psychodynamic perspective means I'm especially curious about:

    • The impact of your past experiences, including early childhood experiences & relationships, on the present

    • The dynamics that unfold between us (therapist and client); patterns often emerge here just as they do elsewhere in life

    • The motives, desires, dreads, fears, unresolved conflicts, etc. that may be out of conscious awareness and underlie your symptoms

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based approach grounded in research on emotions and attachment. From an EFT perspective, humans are hard-wired from birth to seek emotional connection and secure relationships. When those important attachment bonds feel threatened or disrupted, it's natural to respond in distressed, protective ways.

    In our work together, we'll explore the patterns that tend to emerge in your relationships when your attachment bonds feel threatened or disconnected. We'll also work to better understand the deeper emotions and needs that lie beneath those reactions. As these become clearer, it becomes easier to communicate your needs, respond to others in new ways, and foster more secure, connected relationships.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a gentle approach to therapy based on the idea that the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors we often think of as "symptoms" are actually protective parts of us that developed to help us cope, adapt, or survive difficult experiences. We all have these parts—they're a normal part of being human.

    In therapy, we'll get to know your parts with curiosity and compassion, exploring their roles, histories, and the experiences that shaped them. Rather than trying to get rid of these parts, the goal is to help them release old pains & burdens and create more inner flexibility and harmony.

    Working together in this way may look much like traditional talk therapy, while also incorporating guided mindfulness or visualization when they feel supportive.

Trainings of Note:

  • Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Therapy with Oregon Psychoanalytic Center

  • Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy 4-Day Externship with ICEEFT

  • Polyvagal Theory 3-Day Intensive with Deb Dana

  • Treating Complex Trauma with IFS with Frank Anderson

  • Beyond Talk Therapy: Integrating Somatic Approaches with Lewis & Clark

  • EMDR Level 1 Certified with EMDRIA (*I do not currently provide EMDR)

    To support my clinical learning, I also regularly attend group and individual consultation with therapist peers and mentors.