How do you describe your therapeutic approach?
My therapeutic approach is focused on building an authentic relationship with my clients, so that the trust and comfort we build makes room for harder-to-reach feelings, like guilt and shame. My approach is geared toward listening for what isn’t being said, and help to make the implicit, explicit. And, because many people have experienced some form trauma, I help clients cultivate self-compassion when they’re being triggered by another person, place, or event.
What kind of clients do you work best with?
I work best with the client who says “I don’t want to repeat the cycle in my family any longer” or, “I want to understand what I bring into the relationship dynamic.” I notice when a client works on applying our insights outside of therapy, because that is when some of the most lasting work happens. When the clients I work with are open to taking a different approach, less about intellectualizing our way abound an issue, and more about noticing - what’s the feeling that’s coming up, over and over again, until we can recognize it, give it a name, give it space to breathe…that’s when growth happens.
Are there any particular areas of focus that really excite you?
I am especially excited by a body of research focused on naming the ways that workplaces and institutions betray workers. Workers of all background depended on employers, much in the same way that children depend on their parents for livelihood. We often endure toxic dynamics because we may feel we have no other choice. I support my clients' process the confusion, self-blame, and disorientating feelings when institutions deflect blame or accountability.
