DSC_0155.JPG

Therapy begins with curiosity

I provide psychotherapy to individuals utilizing a holistic approach that incorporates key elements from the following therapy frameworks and approaches:  Grief and Soul Work inspired by Francis Weller, MFT (The Wild Edge of Sorrow: The Sacred Work of Grief), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Somatic Therapy (completed Level I Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Training), Internal Family Systems Therapy, Transpersonal and Existential Psychology,  and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, all within a Relational approach. 

I provide psychotherapy in English and Spanish.  Using an integrative approach, treatment is customized to meet your individual needs and interests.  We can creatively work together to identify which approaches work best for you.  We can work on a short-term basis to help you resolve the specific issue(s) or concern(s) that inspire you to seek support.  We may also decide to work together over a longer period of time to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships, and the way in which you respond to the stresses, demands, and challenges you experience in your life.  Along these lines, you will have the opportunity to explore the patterns that at one point were adaptive for you to navigate your circumstances and/or upbringing but that over time might be getting in the way of deeper satisfaction, connection with self/other, and the ability to be fully present. 

 

Areas of Focus:

I specialize in therapeutic work with people dealing with deep grief, loss, anxiety, depression, and/or attachment concerns. I have extensive experience working with people who are in transition and/or working towards deeper understanding and acceptance of self.  Exploration may begin with:

  • A change in relationship status: new commitment, marriage, divorce, separation/un-coupling, co-parenting, death of loved one;

  • Family planning/Expectant parents: fertility issues, navigating pregnancy, anticipating parenthood, birthing, post-partum care;

  • Parenthood: exploring your new role as parent, discovering your parenting style, navigating the co-parenting experience, addressing self-care, Post-Partum Depression/Anxiety, change in relationship to self and others (intimate/social), adjusting to work-life or stay-at-home-parenthood; finding balance between all the roles you fulfill;

  • Intimacy issues: exploration of your identity and sense of self while navigating a complex and multifaceted socio-cultural environment;

  • Acute/chronic medical illness: Loss/grief around changes of health, new illness(es), navigating medical systems: Western medicine and alternative/complementary approaches;

  • Caregiver stress: adapting to a loved one's medical illness and/or mental health challenge and your new role as caregiver;

  • Aging: transition brought on by the aging process (changes in life focus and sense of self);

  • Loss/Bereavement/Grief: trauma, death of loved one(s), end/change of relationship, abortion, miscarriage, infertility;

  • A search for more meaningful pursuits: in light of potential career change, career advancement, job loss, retirement, existential exploration.

Therapy begins with curiosity.  Sometimes curiosity is squelched by self-imposed “rules” about how to think, feel, and act.  This may lead us to only pay attention to the parts of ourselves we deem “acceptable” and ignore everything else.  When we ignore parts of ourselves, we become alienated from important emotions, thoughts, and experiences.  When detached from our true feelings and thoughts, it becomes more difficult to fully engage in life the way we would like to.

 

Forming a Therapeutic Alliance:

In my private practice I help clients to slow down, reflect, and understand how grief, fear, stress, anger, shame, guilt  may impact their ability to be emotionally present and to communicate clearly.  By exploring the inherent wisdom of the body, resilience and coping mechanisms, we learn more about what does and doesn't work from a strengths perspective.  This process of mindful exploration teaches us about communication styles, emotional availability, and intimacy patterns that may be contributing to feelings of being disconnected.  This exploration process can cultivate a grounded sense of self that leads to an authentic presence in the world, clear and intentional communication, greater emotional depth in relationship, and a renewed sense of purpose.  The knowledge gained from compassionate and mindful self-exploration ultimately leads to a deeper and more authentic connection to oneself and others.  And from that place, we can make choices informed by a new level of flexibility, creativity, and freedom that enhances our ability to cope with challenges and find peace in the natural ebb and flow of life.

My intention as a therapist is to listen to you in a manner that ultimately helps you hear and know yourself more deeply, honestly, and fully.    Whether or not you've been in therapy before, you already come to the therapy experience with a great deal of wisdom and life experience which we will draw from throughout your therapy process.  In our time together, we can make meaning of old relational patterns that have impacted you throughout your life and in your present relationships.  We will explore new ways for you to nourish and cultivate compassion for the parts of yourself that may have been neglected or exiled over time and begin to cultivate a quiet space within that offers you clarity and a sense of connection with your core Self.    In my practice I strive to provide a safe holding environment wherein direct, transparent,  and down-to-earth communication can develop and grow.  I will remain supportive, present, and engaged throughout your unique process of inquiry.

 

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

T.S. Eliot's Little Gidding