My Approach

I work with my clients using an integrated approach to therapy that is both relational and behavioral in nature. I incorporate Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Interpersonal Process Therapy paradigms into therapy. I also incorporate feminist theory and Dialectical Behavior Therapy into my work. Underlying each of these approaches are client-centered compassion, collaboration, authenticity, and cultural humility.

It is my understanding as a human and as a therapist that we will encounter unpleasant experiences and suffering in life. If we can learn how to interact with these experiences in a way that does not hinder us from continuing to live a values-guided life, chances are we will feel better and more like ourselves. We may even find ourselves reaching our goals quicker than we thought possible.

There will be also be times when unhelpful thought and behavioral patterns come up that do not serve us. Perhaps they are harmful behaviors, or protective. Perhaps they are thoughts that are rigid or not completely true. Sometimes acknowledgement and acceptance may not be enough. I will work with you to challenge such patterns with compassion, both gently and directly. I will help you recognize ways you can make changes in your way of thinking and behaving that can help reduce anxiety, boost your mood, and guide you toward what is important to you–a values-guided life.

It is also common that what happens in relationships outside of therapy can show up in therapy. Perhaps it is how you talk to yourself or ways you minimize your needs or feelings. I aim to use our therapeutic relationship as a way to practice repairing or learning new ways to interact in relationships so that you can take what you learn about yourself out into your world.