Who I work with I work with clients across the lifespan, with a focus on the following issues:
LGBTQ and sexuality issues
Mood disorders
Anxiety disorders
Childhood trauma
Stress and adjustment problems
Young children with behavioral problems
Stress management and emotional regulation
Relationship problems
How I treat Treatment strategies and techniques are targeted to the individual client's needs after a thorough assessment, usually lasting the first two to three sessions. I integrate the following techniques to help provide relief:
Why people seek therapy My clients typically experienced childhood adversity that overwhelmed their capacity to cope. Children are adaptive, however, developing patterns of thought and behavior that helped them survive. As adults, these coping strategies work most of the time, but become dysfunctional in the face of major stressors. At these moments, the stress is simply greater than the ability to cope, leading to feeling overwhelmed and distressed. Chronic stress compromises our mental immune systems, leading to symptoms, including depression and anxiety. Just as a fever tells us to call the doctor, depression and anxiety are telling us to seek help.
How therapy helps The patterns underlying psychological pain are typically outside of our own awareness. This is where I come in, and why seeing a therapist is different from talking to your family and friends. I act as a trained guide, helping clients become aware of maladaptive thoughts, feelings and behaviors. This process is powerful, profound and sometimes painful, just as healing a wound can sting at first. Awareness of underlying patterns makes space for new ways to experience the world, with a greater sense of control and significant symptom relief.