When we work together, we are equals in relationship. I may have therapeutic training, but I am just another human being. You are, therefore, the expert of your own life experience, & I am both a witness and a guide in our relationship.
Neuroscience informs us that the psyche is always pushing toward the integration of experience. So even when we become submerged in traumatic stress, our minds are working with us, rather than against us. We can trust the psyche's process throughout the healing work that we do.
Humans are not broken, & as a therapist, my job is never to fix another person. Fixing isn't possible for a reason, & that reason reflects the wholeness of each individual, independent of the trauma experienced. Trauma doesn't break people, but it does challenge them. It's important that we establish this wisdom in our work together.
As an inclusive & affirming therapist, all races, ethnicities, genders, & sexual orientations are welcomed & celebrated in my care. Identity shaming is not tolerated in my life or within my practice.
In recovery, we need to experience processes that were chronically disrupted or disengaged from. Primarily, many survivors haven't had the experience of (or experienced very little of) being genuinely cared for, appreciated, & celebrated. Individuals may have only received care or cheerleading when & if they abided by dysfunctional rules or coercive control by perpetrators. In therapy, I believe it is your right to be authentically honored without performance.
My goal for our work together is to engage with the unconscious mind that holds onto unresolved trauma narratives, beliefs, & patterns. I believe that healing requires the facilitation of helping unconscious material become more conscious to the individual. In our work together, I will strive to help you uncover & release toxic stress that manifests as low self-esteem, inattentiveness, & disease.
My approach to working with individuals centers on the slow process of recovering & reclaiming themselves through the relationship with oneself & one's body, along with offering processing skills that clients may use in their daily lives. Through our connection, I help to facilitate the natural grief process that was interrupted by relational trauma using integrative somatic, expressive, & experiential techniques. I am often a good therapist fit for individuals experiencing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), neurodivergent & highly sensitive persons, & individuals struggling with their marginalized identities.
My approach to working with couples centers on healing family-of-origin trauma that influences partner choice-making, responsiveness & reactivity, & each individual's ability to show up in the relationship with vulnerability rather than protective stances. Couples often find that once the "honeymoon" stage of the relationship fades, they no longer may know who their partner is and feel unfulfilled & unseen, leading to tension, loneliness, and heightened conflict. I am often a good fit for couples who are open and willing to look at their pasts & to challenge what they have come to know as being true about themselves and their ability to be in healthy, fulfilling relationships, while providing couples with guidance, skills, & experientials to enhance their emotional & sex lives.
My approach to working with families centers on developing a secure base in which all complex feelings & behaviors can be witnessed without rejection of the child being of my highest priority. This work focuses on developing more secure attachment through play, expressive techniques, & the sharing of vulnerability in order for families to re-connect, or to connect on a level of intimate knowing that wasn't previously possible. It is without question that often the mental health status of the child is a reflection of the family unit's level of health, & disrupted parent-child attachment contributes to symptoms & on-going conflict. Families can learn to lean into one another & grow together instead of disconnecting through control & ineffective communication.
My approach to working with groups centers on developing healthy attachments while recovering from relational wounding. While running groups focusing on childhood trauma, my clients learn to experience genuine intimacy while holding toxic family systems accountable for unmet developmental needs. I believe that community healing is central to individual healing. My childhood trauma therapy groups are best suited for individuals who are ready to start looking at the truth of their experiences and who are healthy enough to show up as a support to other members.