My Approach to Helping
Does your life feel out of control? You're not alone. In my safe, supportive space you'll explore emotions, develop coping skills, and find peace and a renewed sense of well-being. My approach to therapy emphasizes resilience and empowerment. My methods focus on regulating the nervous system, teaching clients to recognize and reduce the physiological responses and triggers. Through practices like mindfulness and self-regulation, I help individuals build emotional strength and regain control. My approach integrates evidenced-based research, focusing on the root causes of emotional pain while promoting a sense of safety and empowerment. Clients learn practical tools to interrupt the stress response and move toward a life of greater peace, resilience, and well-being. My methods offer a compassionate, structured path to healing from trauma.
I offer Integrated Trauma Therapy for individuals and Dual-Focus Relationship Therapy for couples.
The goal is to empower you to regain control over your life, improve your well-being, and move forward with a renewed sense of hope and resilience.
More Info About My Practice
I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Certified Gottman Educator, and a Certified Cinema Therapist
I have been a private practice psychotherapist for over 20 years. I worked in psychiatric hospitals for 3 years before i started my private practice.
See my website for testimonials and my blog.
My Therapy Focus
I focus on 2 main modalities.
1. Dual-Focus Relationship Therapy for Couples
Relationships are complex, involving the needs, emotions, and experiences of two individuals and the dynamic they create together. In every couple I work with, I see three entities: Partner 1, Partner 2, and the Couple. My approach, Dual-Focus Relationship Therapy, is designed to address all three. By understanding and addressing each partner individually while focusing on their shared goals, I can help the relationship thrive.
Dual-Focus Relationship Therapy blends individual and joint sessions to offer a comprehensive, personalized approach to couples counseling. Each session is one hour, with a structure tailored to your needs:
Split Sessions: 15 minutes with each partner individually, followed by 30 minutes together.
Full Individual Focus: 30 minutes with each partner, allowing deeper exploration of personal challenges.
Full Couple Focus: The entire session devoted to joint couple's work.
The format evolves based on your progress and the unique dynamics of your relationship. Individual sessions provide a safe space to explore personal concerns, while couple sessions focus on connection, communication, and shared goals.
Why This Approach Works
By intertwining individual and joint sessions, this therapy provides several benefits:
Three-Fold Understanding: Gaining insights into both partners individually and their dynamic as a couple allows me to address each entity?s unique needs.
Deeper Insights: Private sessions uncover hidden issues, vulnerabilities, and emotions that can?t always surface in joint sessions.
Reduced Defensiveness: Partners can express concerns without fear of judgment or triggering conflict.
Shared Progress: Joint sessions integrate individual insights, creating a more collaborative path forward.?
2. Integrated Trauma Therapy: A Comprehensive Path to Healing for Individuals
Trauma is complex, and no two people experience it the same way. To meet the unique needs of every client, I have developed Integrated Trauma Therapy, a holistic approach that draws from some of the most effective trauma-focused methods. This tailored approach combines evidence-based techniques with compassionate care to help you heal, grow, and regain control of your life.
The Foundations of Integrated Trauma Therapy
Integrated Trauma Therapy brings together elements from five proven approaches, each contributing unique tools and perspectives:
Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy (FFTT) FFTT focuses on equipping clients with practical tools to reduce stress and regulate emotions. Instead of revisiting past traumatic events, this approach emphasizes building resilience and staying present, empowering clients to thrive moving forward.
Inner Child Work Inner Child Work helps you reconnect with the vulnerable parts of yourself that hold unresolved wounds from childhood. By addressing these wounds with compassion and care, this method fosters self-compassion, emotional release, and integration of the past with the present.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) Prolonged Exposure Therapy helps clients process trauma by gradually confronting and revisiting distressing memories and situations in a safe, controlled environment. This method reduces the emotional power of traumatic experiences, fostering long-term relief.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) TF-CBT focuses on understanding and restructuring negative thought patterns related to trauma. This approach equips clients with tools to manage stress, reframe their experiences, and regain a sense of safety and control in their daily lives.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) NET helps clients construct a coherent narrative of their life, weaving traumatic events into a broader life story. This process allows individuals to reframe their experiences and reduce the emotional charge of traumatic memories.
How Integrated Trauma Therapy Works
By combining these approaches, Integrated Trauma Therapy offers a personalized and adaptable framework. During our work together, I will:
Assess Your Needs: We will discuss your history and goals to determine which techniques best align with your healing process.
Tailor the Approach: Depending on your unique experiences, we may focus on one method more heavily or weave together aspects of several approaches.
Focus on Empowerment: The goal is not only to reduce trauma symptoms but also to build resilience, self-awareness, and a sense of control over your life.
What to Expect
Integrated Trauma Therapy provides a safe, supportive space where you can:
Develop tools to manage stress and emotional overwhelm.
Reconnect with your inner strength and sense of identity.
Process difficult memories in a way that feels manageable and empowering.
Build a new narrative for your life, rooted in resilience and hope.
Whether you are struggling with unresolved childhood trauma, recent traumatic events, or ongoing stress, Integrated Trauma Therapy offers a comprehensive path to healing that addresses your past, strengthens your present, and prepares you for a brighter future.
