psychotherapy services

I currently provide individual psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults, and couple's therapy.  I am available to address concerns related to depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship problems, child behavior and/or social problems, life transitions and stressors, and more.  Please note that I do not treat eating disorders or substance abuse disorders. Further, I am not an expert in domestic violence or in working with high-conflict couples. Please keep in mind that my practice is a therapy- only practice; I do not do psychoeducational or psychological evaluations. Sessions are 50-minutes and are typically scheduled on a weekly basis, although this might vary to meet clients' needs.  Typically sessions become less frequent once we have made some treatment gains.

my approach

In early therapy sessions, my goal is simply to hear you, to enhance my understanding of your background and your current experiences, and to get a sense of who you are.  My clients are the experts on their own life experiences, and I rely on them to enlighten me.  Coming to therapy requires some serious vulnerability.  It can be tough sometimes for clients to share so much about themselves and to hear so little about me and my life in return.  While that is the nature of therapy, you will know me in the sense that I am my genuine self in the therapy room.  I use humor, memorable analogies (which are, admittedly, sometimes ridiculous when I come up with them off the cuff), and pop culture references.  I find myself frequently self-disclosing minor embarrassing things I've done or said to make a point.  Hey, I'm not perfect!  I've gotten feedback from many clients that they appreciate that I am "real" and "direct" with them. 

As we develop a therapeutic relationship and I come to a greater understanding of your experiences, we will collaborate to form a plan for treatment.  My intention is not for you to be in therapy for years and years, but for us to develop concrete and achievable goals together. I find it most effective to draw together various evidence-based treatment approaches (that research shows help reduce symptoms of distress) to address the unique needs of each client.  I frequently use cognitive-behavioral therapy approaches, which often entail helping clients identify and shift negative ways of thinking (e.g., I am not perfect and, therefore, I am awful/unworthy of love) to more helpful (and accurate) ones.  While therapy often involves change, acceptance can also be a profoundly important component of our work together.  As such, I also employ mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches to my work with clients.  My work with couples, meanwhile, is founded in Dr. Sue Johnson's Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman method.  I have completed an intensive externship in EFT and Levels 1 and 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I consider attachment issues and parenting approaches in my work with children and families, and my work with children typically entails active involvement by parents in the therapy process. 

I will ask for your feedback continually as we work together, because things change and goals sometimes shift.  My therapy approaches are based on science, but therapy is also something of an art; we can get creative and adapt as we move forward together.