My Approach
I never use a one-size-fits-all protocol, and I tailor my treatment plan to your personality, needs, and the context of what you are struggling with.
Integrative Orientation
My theoretical orientation is integrative, primarily grounded in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic theory. When I work with you, I draw upon a number of different theoretical perspectives, principles, and technique depending on what you bring into your treatment. I never use a one-size-fits-all protocol, and I tailor my treatment plan to your personality, needs, and the context of what you are struggling with. I strive to use flexibility and responsiveness in our work while staying grounded in research and sound theory.
My patients often describe me as an attuned listener, compassionate, nonjudgmental, and calming. I utilize an integrative approach including principles from psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis as well as a range of evidence-based treatments (such as CBT, ACT, DBT, and MI). Therapy with me involves the development of a trusting relationship to enhance awareness of the complexity, conflict, and feelings that lie beneath the surface in the service of more adeptly discovering the richness of your present, and the opportunities you have for your future.
Therapy is often an experience quite different from others you’ve had. Many of us spend a lot of time thinking, feeling, and behaving in learned, habitual ways. Though our behaviors and the ways we think and feel about ourselves and other people are largely influenced by past experiences, our environment, and our culture, we don’t often think about all that goes into the choices we make. And we need to do it this way! We could hardly get anything done if we were all the time aware of the myriad forces at play. Over time, we come to do things the ways we do because at some point it worked for us; however, we also sometimes continue to perpetuate patterns in the way we relate and behave that no longer serve us.
The consequences of this ill fit between the ways we’ve learned to be and the demands of our present lives (and relationships) are often what bring people to therapy. We can’t make sense of why we’re feeling what we do or how to do things differently. Unlike many relationships you may have throughout your life, in therapy, we have the opportunity to talk about the things we typically keep hidden from others and from ourselves. As your therapist, I am not here to protect you from the hard parts of life—life is hard, and struggle inevitable; Rather, I am here to help you learn what makes your struggle so difficult and how to more effectively cope with reality as it is. When we can see our present more fully as it is, we start to see changes in our relationships, work, and feelings about our selves.
FAQs
What’s it like to start therapy?
I always offer to meet with prospective patients for a 30 minute phone consultation at no fee prior to scheduling an initial session. Typically the first 1-3 sessions are collaborative and used as an “intake,” which is an opportunity for us to discuss what’s bringing you to therapy, for us to get to learn more about our respective styles, and for us to decide whether or not therapy with me might be helpful for you.
What is a theoretical orientation and why does that matter?
A therapist’s theoretical orientation refers to how it is that a clinician understands the nature, etiology, and optimal treatments for different psychological problems. Some clinicians approach psychological problems from behavioral perspectives, which means that they might focus on addressing specific, targeted behaviors in the short term. While I may use behavioral principles over the course of a treatment, I believe that most of the time particular symptoms are rooted in a more complex, longer term structure. In order to see changes in how we think, feel, and relate in lasting ways, I believe it’s necessary to understand more about a person’s development, relationships, family, values and goals, and patterns in the ways that they think and feel. My patients often reflect that they see changes in their symptoms through this kind of work without actually targeting specific behaviors.
How will I know if we’re a good fit?
I often recommend to prospective patients to interview at least three different therapists before deciding to move forward with treatment. A helpful relationship with a therapist requires that you feel comfortable. How do you feel about this person? Do they seem competent and trustworthy? These are important questions to ask yourself. Even if you can’t articulate why you like a therapist from the outset, this is an important time to trust your gut.