Individual Therapy
Prior to beginning our work together, we will meet for 15-20 minutes for your free consultation call. This conversation helps us determine if we are a good fit for your needs and goals. If we agree to move forward, you will complete intake documentation and an intake session will be scheduled to begin your therapeutic treatment.
Individual therapy typically consists of meeting with me for 50 minutes in person or virtually via HIPAA compliant and secure telehealth video. It is common to be curious about what the “typical length” of treatment is, which is a valid and important consideration. Let me be clear here - therapy comes at a time and financial cost, and therapists have different ways of thinking about this reality. Personally, I believe that the positive changes achieved in therapy are steppingstones that guide you to a place where you feel self-directed, confident, and securely connected to other important relationships in your life. At the end of the day, change occurs at different rates for everyone, and it is my priority to assist you at a pace that feels manageable and realistic, while working towards liberating independence.
My therapeutic orientation is influenced by Internal Family Systems (IFS) and a client-centered, strengths-based philosophy. You may be asking, “so what does that really mean?” Internal Family Systems is a gentle, empowering therapy approach based on the idea that we all have different “parts” within us—like inner voices, feelings, or patterns that show up in different situations. You might notice a part of you that worries constantly, a part that gets angry quickly, a part that feels small or overwhelmed, and another part that wants to take care of everyone else. In IFS, all of these parts are understood as trying to protect you or help you in some way, even if some of their strategies no longer serve you. This process creates space for healing the deeper wounds you've been carrying. Building this introspection and self-compassion ultimately allows your core, grounded Self—the calm, confident, wise part of you—to take the lead.
The highest priority in my work is to offer you a trauma-informed and respectful therapeutic relationship to implement evidence-based interventions that promote positive change. I am mindful of making my practice a safe, inclusive, and LGBTQIA+ affirming space, where all feel welcome. We will start exactly with where and who you are right now, and curate a pathway forward that is as unique, complex and perfect as you.
Common challenges that benefit from my approach to individual therapy:
- Feeling “stuck” or that you are at a crossroad and you are unsure what you want to do or how you want to proceed
- Wondering how to get a grip on emotions that are “too big,” overwhelming, and interfering with your relationships and well-being
- Being burdened to the point of give-up or burnout due to stress and trauma from family, relationships, careers and life
- Not recognizing your own reflection in the mirror but desperately wanting to feel like yourself again
- Managing chronic and progressive health conditions while navigating healthcare systems that can make you feel “crazy,” alone, or helpless
- Feeling rage or despair because it seems like your own body or brain is working against you
- Knowing that something needs to change, perhaps even knowing exactly what needs to change, but feeling paralyzed, shame-ridden, or unprepared to take that step
- Experiencing sleep patterns and problems that leave you feeling chronically fatigued and diminish your quality of life (Please see the Behavioral Sleep Medicine page for more details about sleep treatments)
Therapeutic interventions
Clients benefit from my work as a psychologist because I bring years of specialized doctoral clinical work, assessment, and research to my role as their therapist. These skillsets keep my practice up to date and help me bridge the gap between empirical scholarship and clinical applications that are proven to help clients heal.
Evidence based practices that inform my therapeutic approach include:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Anger Management
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- CBT-Insomnia (CBT-I)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Managing Adult ADHD
- Mindfulness
- Positive Psychology
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
- Somatic Experiencing (SE)