Welcome.
There are all kinds of reasons to seek out therapy. You might be motivated by relationship conflict, anxiety, depression, overwhelming life situations, family struggles, the search for meaning, recovery from trauma, the desire for self-improvement, or the prodding of a loved one.
What brings you here?
Individual Therapy
Be seen, be heard.
Whether you’re looking to propel personal growth, heal from trauma, find support in a particularly difficult time, or seek relief from depression or anxiety, you don’t need to do it alone. I offer a safe place for honest conversation without judgment. You can explore the concerns on your heart and mind, and know that you’ll be heard.
Central to my therapy is the conviction that we are, all of us, relational. In helpful and unhelpful ways, we have been formed into who we are through a series of relationships. Those who love us teach us what is lovable. To be accepted, to be loved, we all learn that we must contain and restrain some parts of who we might otherwise be.
For most people, this whole process is confusing, and it’s frequently painful. People tend to respond in some common ways. Some people live with fear and anxiety of disappointing others, while some become emotionally numb or disconnected. Some people get overwhelmed and eventually depressed by the pressures they feel, while others take care of everybody but themselves. Some people are filled with anger and resentment. Most are insecure.
It’s a messy process we go through, becoming people. But we don’t have to do it alone.
I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen by them, heard by them, and understood by them.
Virginia Satir
Couples Therapy
Break the Cycle
Our intimate relationships impact us the most heavily, for better and for worse. I don’t often meet people with miserable relationships and a high quality of life. And yet, despite the importance of our most intimate relationships, few of us have any idea what we’re doing. We fight, we criticize, we compete, we blame, we lie, we withdraw, and afterwards we struggle to repair.
Because these challenges are so common, the good news is that we do have solutions. There is hope.
In couples therapy, you’ll get the opportunity to step outside of the claustrophobic spaces where conflict happens, and gain a different perspective on your relationship. You’ll develop a better understanding of why you and your partner do what you do. Most importantly, you’ll be equipped to break the patterns and cycles that are stuck.
If you’re considering couples therapy, don’t wait. The sooner you begin the process, the more apologies you’ll avoid having to make.
The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.
Morrie Schwartz
Family Therapy
Working together for change
Family therapy is unfamiliar to a lot of people, and that’s a shame. Through family therapy we can address issues that involve multiple people. And let’s be honest—most issues involve multiple people.
When our car breaks down, we rarely learn that a single part has malfunctioned all on its own. No—a bolt came loose and a connection got weak, so oil started dripping on a belt that stretched and stretched, and eventually broke. In a system like that, you’ll miss the real problem if you’re only looking at the part that broke.
Our families are a lot like engines, with all their interrelated parts working together, for better and for worse. If all the parts are well taken care of and the connections are strong, then it ‘works’ and you can move forward together. But if the road conditions are rough, or some connections have shaken loose; if there have been a couple fender benders along the way—then it might be that some repair is needed.
I recognize that a family’s cultural, ethnic, and religious values might play a central role in their life together, and will honor the unique values of your family. I work with a diversity of clients, and warmly welcome families and households of all kinds.
If your family would benefit from an outside perspective, and some honest conversation, I’d love to see if I can be a help.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.