About Me
At the beginning of my career, I was drawn to Existentialism. Both the philosophy and the therapeutic approach to help clients identify how to live authentically, as well as explore and create meaning in a world that ostensibly has none. I appreciated Irvin Yalom's ability to be a human in the room with his clients.
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But over time, I realized not all clients have the material conditions to explore these themes in their lives, as many struggled with basic needs, poverty, and isolation. During this time, I began utilizing more evidence-based treatments like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT didn't completely align with my style of therapy, so I began studying and integrating Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) into my work. ACT helped me utilize mindfulness in my work and offered clients reprieve. It helped to shift my focus towards client behavior, moving away from such a strong focus on cognition.
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In my journey to expand and grow as a therapist, I began exploring attachment theory and eventually found Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). Attachment theory helped me come to understand myself and my clients and notice the way we move throughout our inner and outer worlds. Not only that, but the tenets of EFT felt intuitive.
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I have since become an EFT trained therapist. I use EFT to help clients navigate and make sense of their emotional world, walk closely towards frightening, alien, and seemingly unacceptable emotion. I support my clients as they make sense of attachment needs and longings to individuals, couples, and families all while being a human with my clients.
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I use these diverse set of skills and interventions I've picked up throughout the years to tailor treatment to help each individual and each couple with their desired goals.
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About My Approach
I embrace a humanistic approach to treatment. I believe that clients have the capacity to grow when they feel secure. The therapeutic relationship acts as a safe and secure base from which clients can explore their frightening, unacceptable, and alien emotions. When viewing clients and couples through an attachment-based lens, all behaviors make sense. I take a non-pathologizing, humanistic stance to viewing clients. I use skills from emotion-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy to help them achieve goals we mutually establish.
About Emotion
Emotions color our world. They tell us about ourselves and the world around us. They tell us what we like, what we don't like, what we want, what we need, and more. Operating through life without emotions is like navigating a vast ocean without a compass.
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So why do we work with it?
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We realize that logic and advice do not effect change, at least not second-order change, the kind of change that occurs with significant or fundamental shifts in behavior. Nor can we think our way out of an emotion. "The only way out of an emotion is through." Emotion changes emotion. Using emotion in therapy allows us to create corrective emotional experiences - experiences that can heal wounds.
