I believe therapeutic change occurs when individuals are given tools, gain insight, and experience connection in a supportive environment. Challenges will continue, grief will still hurt, but I believe through our work together, you can learn to lead with empathy, seek repair and connection, and practice curiosity and compassion as you navigate life's challenges.

Three major concepts guide my clinical work: Get curious; seek connection; and you were never meant to do it alone. 

Get curious

Perhaps the most critical task of conducting psychotherapy is creating a space where we can get curious without judgement; one that feels both safe and productive. With authenticity, tenderness, and warmth, we will examine past and current thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and experiences to look for patterns and any wisdom they may offer. 

Seek connection

Neuroscience confirms that humans thrive when they feel connected to others and ourselves. Many of our behaviors are bids for connection--or the result of when those bids fail. When we are lost, prioritizing seeking connection in the therapeutic relationship, in our relationships with others, and within ourselves is often the light that guides us to healing and reaching our goals. When feel deeply cared for, we give ourselves permission to care for ourselves and, in turn, care for others.

You were never meant to do it alone

Feeling alone is not natural--in fact, it signals to our nervous system that we are in danger. Despite globalization, access to the internet, and the age of social media, we live in a time of unprecedented isolation. Families are raising children without the complex support systems with which we evolved. Adults tend to live without systems that provide support, meaning, and empathy. Thus, in addition to fostering connection, I prioritize a sense of togetherness in my clinical work. Yes, I bring years of experience, training, and expertise to the room. However, I apply my expertise as a collaborator, empowering and supporting my clients. 

Finally, I understand that some people seek therapy with a clear goal, while others may more broadly want to explore and enrich their lives. Whatever brings you here, we will figure it out together. 

A note about neuroscience...

I am not afraid to admit that I am a huge neuroscience nerd. The field of neuroscience is exploding and the (nearly endless) applications for clinical work are increasingly being recognized. Everything I do in my clinical work is grounded in neuroscience--from the way I form relationships with my clients, to the toys I select for my playroom, to the theories I apply and the interventions I implement. Even the three principles explored above are backed by neuroscience. 

Neuroscience tells us that our nervous systems respond to our environments (including our interpersonal environments) by developing certain responses to keep us safe. Over our lifetimes, our nervous systems develop patterns in their wiring. Sometimes these patterns can create challenges for us as we move through life, as mechanisms that were originally intended to keep us safe are not suited for our current environments. We can learn to work with our nervous system’s neuroplasticity (or ability to change) to re-pattern and rewire to create outcomes that fit our current lives. After all, neurons that wire together, fire together!

So how does this apply to psychotherapy and play therapy? The nervous system exists at the intersection between the mind and the body. Rewiring can happen therapeutically through human connection, play, compassion, and looking deeply in to ourselves in a safe space. Mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive approaches, behavioral techniques--they all create new pathways that lead us to thinking, feeling, and acting differently. As we replace old habits with new, we create new pathways in our nervous systems. 

Parents can also be critical architects of their child’s nervous system. This is why I work with parents to help shape and work with their child’s nervous system to achieve their behavioral and emotional goals. (See "Services offered" for more about my parent support services.)

If you have any questions about neurscience applications in my clinical work, check out the "Theoretical orientation" page on this site or ask me about it in a free consultation. 

I am honored to have received client feedback that has included:

• I trust that my clients are the experts of their own stories

• I offer expertise in a wide of areas that enrich therapeutic experience 

• Listen and “translate”—am able to help clients clarify and articulate their inner experiences of themselves, others, and life in general