Many of us were taught to “love our neighbors as ourselves” but weren’t given the freedom or the tools to explore who we are as an individual in order to know and love ourselves. Knowing and loving oneself is foundational to living a connected life with others… in “loving our neighbor”.

Many of us were also not given the tools to connect our bodies with our minds. We may have been taught not to trust our bodies, to fear our bodies, to be disgusted with our bodies. We may have been taught not to trust our emotions, to fear our emotions, to hide our emotions.

In order to process stress, anxiety, pain, grief, depression, disappointment, and trauma in healthy and helpful ways, we have to function as a whole person. The body working with the mind and the mind working with the body.

Sometimes we instinctively, and unconsciously, numb the connection between our body and mind for survival. Whether it’s surviving emotional/physical neglect, a high-control group/relationship, abuse, or resource scarcity, we adapt to live. Unfortunately, the ways we adapt might lead us to sabotage the life we desire.

If we peel back our innate survival behavior, we will often find grief.

Grief is not limited to the loss of a loved one. Grief can come from the loss of control of our bodies due to abuse, chronic pain, or injury. Loss of a relationship, a job, or the dream of what our lives would be. Loss of certainty. Loss of our faith tradition. Loss of community. Loss of comfort. Loss of who we thought we would be as an adult, a partner, a parent.

My approach to therapy is to provide a judgment-free, safe space to curiously explore and pursue what will aid in reaching your personal goals. You might not know exactly what your personal goals are and that’s completely normal. Let’s explore that together.

Ultimately, you are the expert on you! I’m here to facilitate therapy practices and skills based on your expressed needs and desires and it would be my absolute pleasure to work alongside you.

In our sessions, I will utilize multiple therapy practices, such as Attachment Theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Somatic Therapy, Polyvagal Therapy, psychoeducation, and the Enneagram*.

In sessions with children, I’ll utilize Play Therapy to engage with your child in working towards their goals, whether that’s calming anxiety, making friends, or recognizing, understanding, and expressing big emotions in healthy ways. 

I hope we can partner together to work towards your goals.

*The Enneagram is a tool to learn more about the ways we communicate, handle confrontation, and behave when at peace and when stressed, plus the motivations behind our actions to strengthen self-awareness, self-compassion, and healthy relationships. This tool is optional.