My Therapeutic Style
Whether you are struggling with sadness, finding the energy to do things in life, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, trauma, unhealthy coping, or even masking your emotions; you are capable and you can heal. I truly believe that most people will do well when they know how to do well. It's hard to ask for help and it's hard to accept the help. We just get stuck in the quick fix, easiest option, or the least emotionally draining route.
Therapy doesn't have to be awkward. We may feel awkward being vulnerable with our innermost thoughts and emotions, but my goal is to create a space for you to be your genuine and authentic self as that is where the true healing and movement happens. I utilize frameworks in CBT, DBT, ACT, TF-CBT, CPT, motivational interviewing, family systems, solutions focused and am trained in EMDR.
What I hope to do for you is to assist you in being able to fulfill and support yourself. My style towards therapy is direct, relational, and authentic. I won't sugar coat things or tell you what you "want" to hear, and I hope the same from you. It's not the stereotypical "and how does that make you feel?" therapy session that gets portrayed. Therapy is about processing our thoughts and our emotions. My approach is personalized for every client, as therapy is about you and for you. Therapy can look like traditional talk therapy with a CBT or ACT emphasis, skill building from DBT, EMDR therapy, or it can even be a blended combination of all of these options.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy focusing on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions, the cognitive triangle, and working on identifying, challenging, and reframing our negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. It’s practical and goal-oriented, so you’ll often get “homework” or exercises to do outside of sessions. CBT is commonly used for things like depression, anxiety, and stress, and it’s all about building skills that help you cope with challenges in healthier ways. There is also a subset therapy called Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) which combines the principles of CBT with strategies specifically aimed at addressing the impact of trauma by facing those difficult memories in a safe way, challenging unhelpful thoughts, and developing healthier coping strategies.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of therapy that focuses on helping you accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than trying to fight or avoid them. ACT is about accepting what you can't control while focusing on what you can, to create a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Instead of aiming to eliminate distress, ACT teaches to embrace uncomfortable emotions as part of life and to focus on living in a way that aligns with your values. ACT focuses on you identifying what truly matters to you—like your relationships, work, or personal growth—and guides you to take action toward those goals, even when fear or uncertainty is present.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a type of therapy focusing significantly on skill building and the processing in the four different categories of: mindfulness (staying present in the moment), distress tolerance (handling tough situations), emotional regulation (understanding and controlling emotions), and interpersonal effectiveness (communicating and setting healthy boundaries in relationships). DBT is all about finding balance, the middle path or wise mind, of accepting yourself as you are while also working to make positive changes.
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy can help people process traumatic memories or negative experiences that are still affecting them today. EMDR uses guided bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds) to help the brain reprocess those memories in a way that reduces their emotional impact. It’s based on the idea that unprocessed trauma can get "stuck," and by stimulating both sides of the brain, you can help the mind move past it. Essentially, it helps the brain "rework" these memories so they're less overwhelming, and it can be especially effective for trauma, anxiety, grief, and other stress-related issues. It is different from traditional talk therapy as a way to process through distressing events without a significant amount of talking, although you do still have to think about the distressing event. Many people find it to be an effective way to heal from difficult experiences without having to go into deep talk therapy.