Affirming, Evidence-Based Therapy

Creating a respectful, affirming relationship that offers insight and support in the midst of anxiety and struggle.

We are all experiencing life: the good, the bad, and the painful. Whether we are chasing lofty goals or responding to complex responsibilities, stress and frustration broach our lives and create dysregulation in our bodies. This physiological dysregulation can lead to anxiety and depression, significantly impacting daily life. As William James stated, “The great thing, then, in all education, is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy.” My goal is to help you create calm stability in your mind, body, and behavior. By become aware of your patterns, and processing your experiences and emotions you can improve your life.

The Therapeutic Approach

Good therapy is based on a safe and respectful relationship between a client and a therapist. My approach to therapy is highly collaborative and humanistic. I believe you are trying to improve your life - I’m going to walk with you on that path. Together we create a safe space where you improve your awareness, explore your experiences, notice patterns in your life, and notice how these contribute to your functioning and sense of self. These insights allow you to consider alternative perspectives, utilize your strengths, and choose new, more adaptive behaviors.

Creating Safety

Therapy is the work of opening up and exploring your self. Examining your thoughts, actions, and reactions to better function in your universe. Discussing these deeply held, private experiences requires vulnerability; therefore, the therapeutic relationship must be one of safety. My role is to create that safe space. I approach therapy with non-judgment and empathy and remind people that what they are facing is a part of their humanity.

Specialties

I specialize in evidence-based therapies for treating symptoms of anxiety and sadness. What this looks like for one person may manifest differently in another person. Many times my clients have chronic, visceral reactions to experiences in their lives. They may have a history of trauma in childhood or have experienced trauma as adults. These experiences leave them feeling tense, reactive, and not like themselves. I work with people who are grieving the death of a loved one, adjusting to new and often difficult lifestyles, responding to serious medical diagnoses, or taking on the role of caregiver for a family member.

Sometimes strong visceral reactions accompany what people normally think of as happy events, like the birth of a child. The impact of sleep loss, nursing issues, and peri/postpartum concerns can be an unexpected shock. Symptoms like grief, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and PTSD can accompany these events. Sometimes, with big body changes, like serious medical diagnoses, there is a sense of body betrayal. There are techniques like brain spotting, diaphragmatic breathing, focus changing, cognitive behavioral reframes, trigger recognition, and successive approximation that help bring understanding, change, and a sense of control.

Affirmative evidence based therapy life transitions adjustments

I am particularly interested in healing the impact of long-term stress on a person’s lifestyle patterns. My clients are generally at a crossroad in life, making complex decisions about how they would like to move forward and define their path as well as themselves. If you are seeking collaboration on how to move forward to more effectively achieve your goals, please contact me.