My Approach to Helping
We often think of ourselves as what we are given, but instead it's what we make of what we're given. I am guided by a view of identity as a creative narrative and see distress as often occurring when we feel stuck in that creation, bound to a self and life that isn't working. The goal in therapy is not only to understand how and why we got stuck, but to reengage with our creative and imaginative self, allowing us to explore new facets of ourselves and experiment with new ways of being. In many ways, we reduce suffering by reintroducing play.
Storytelling, deep reflection, imagination, and humor are pillars of my practice. I work with you to understand, reimagine, and reorganize your experience so that you can unlock self-transformation and achieve your desired changes. I particularly enjoy working with individuals struggling with identity, depression, trauma, anxiety, and life transitions.
I believe the past is always present, but we are not necessarily bound by it. Change is always possible, even if it is always hard. If you're at a stage where you feel stuck and uncertain, or like you've wandered off your path, or have no clue what path you're even on, I encourage you to reach out to me. We can imagine and explore new pathways together.
More Info About My Practice
I am pre-licensed, which means I have my doctorate and am in the process of obtaining licensure and am supervised by a licensed clinician while in that process.
I only do in-person appointments. As of 626, I have openings on Tuesdays at 1:30PM. I am accepting for a waitlist for a Sunday at 2PM and Tuesday at 6:30PM, slots which will open by September.
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
I love the puzzle and putting the pieces together. Beginning with someone new in therapy is much like getting lost in first few chapters of a novel - it takes a while to get oriented, to find your footing, to know how things fit together. It's past that point when the landscapes of all the many narratives of a person emerge to view, and the therapy really begins. I'm a lifelong reader and film lover - really just a lover of stories - and what I love about being a therapist is that our work is with the stories we tell about ourselves, about others, and about the world around us.
What I Say to People Concerned about the Therapy Process
That therapy is weird and certainly anxiety inducing - the simple prospect of opening up to a stranger is terrifying. It is normal to be concerned about the therapy process, and concerned about what gets stirred up along the way. What I say to folx with concerns about the process is, first, that you are always in control and, second, that therapy doesn't necessarily need to be all about the darkness and that we should always make room for the light. Play and laughter can be a part of therapy too. We aren't just wrestling with our demons, but cultivating our angels too.