MY SPECIALTIES
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
I provide individual therapy to adults and young adults. All sessions are conducted virtually via telehealth. My therapy treatment incorporates Relational Psychodynamic Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Somatic Theory, and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR). If you are interested in learning more about these theories, I have included brief summaries below.
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RELATIONAL PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
Relational Psychodynamic Theory centralizes building a relationship between the therapist and the client. Through this relationship the client and therapist work together to investigate patterns the client learned during formative years and discover how these patterns are impacting the client's life, relationships, and mental health
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy incorporates specific skills that encourage coping and emotion regulation when difficult situations, feelings, and thoughts are present
SOMATIC THEORY
Somatic Theory integrates how the body physiologically responds to emotions/ thoughts/ stress/ trauma. Being aware of what the body is experiencing increases self-knowledge and can inform what kind of coping skill is needed in the moment
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EMDR (EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION & REPROCESSING)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) is a structured therapy process that utilizes bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tactile tapping) while reprocessing a traumatic or disturbing memory in order to diffuse the activation and emotional disturbance paired with the memory. Learn more about EMDR in this blog post from Dr. Kyle Dortch.
CHRONIC STRESS & ANXIETY
Although chronic stress and anxiety are not exactly the same, they share many similar features. In therapy we will both cope with the physiological distress (ex. increased heart rate, racing thoughts, shaking in the body, etc) and also do some back work to explore the stories surrounding your experience with chronic stress and anxiety.
YOUNG ADULTS
Although I provide therapy to all adults, young adults (ages 18-25) is an age group I have particular experience with and knowledge about. Although every individual is different, there are common developmental milestones & life transitions that are specifically helpful to receive support around.
IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
Identity development is the process of getting to know one's self and the different components of what makes you "you". This can include your likes, dislikes, gender identity, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identities, your age...really any identity that you hold that feels important (or unimportant) to you. Although developing this sense of self is a hallmark component of early adulthood, it continually happens throughout life as we as humans are constantly reaching new developmental, age milestones, and social milestones.
DEPRESSION
Characterized by feelings of hopelessness, sluggishness, and low mood, depression can be a very frustrating and isolating experience. Working with depression requires a "one-two punch" approach: gently working on addressing the front facing behavioral manifestations (using evidence practices to "up-regulate" the nervous system to increase energy levels), while also building compassion for and understanding of the difficult emotions & stories that might be tied to your experience of depression.
TRAUMA
Put (overly) simply, trauma is a response that happens in the brain and body when a distressing event occurs that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope or metabolize the event(s). This can lead to a decreased sense of self, helplessness, and generally feeling chronically hypervigilant or numb (or flipping back and forth). Working with trauma in therapy is a slow process, takes time, and requires first building a solid sense of safety within the client-therapist relationship. Please feel free to schedule a consultation with me to learn about my trauma informed therapy practices.
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
We do not exist in a vacuum and are formed by our surroundings (such as the year, country, and social context we live in). Some of the most foundational formation (both the good and painful) happens within our family relationships. This is the context where we first learned how to view ourselves, other people, and how to be in relationship. If left unexamined, our original understanding will remain our "blueprint" for understanding self-worth and creating connection. Together, we can examine what is and isn't working in your "blueprint" and from there try on new ways of relating to the self and being in relationship.
LIFE TRANSITIONS / ADJUSTMENTS
Life transitions can bring up a lot: excitement, nervousness, dread, fear of uncertainty, loss of stability, and grief to name a few. If you are adjusting to a life transition, it can be extremey helpful to have a place to explore, process, and gain clarity on what you are experiencing, thinking, and feeling.
GRIEF
Whether you are grieving because of the loss of a loved one, a romantic break up, the end of a friendship, the loss of a job...you deserve support. Contrary to the previous model of grief being understood as a linear 5 stage model, it is completely normal and expected to bounce around from despair, to momentary acceptance, to denial, to anger etc. for quite some time. Wherever you in your grief process, you deserve space, support, and understanding.