How we work together

When I work in session with any client or clients, there are a few goals that are always the first priority. I want you to feel safe, supported, and cared for. I want you to feel heard, and not just listened to. It is always my hope that you will feel understood, nurtured, and that the therapeutic space between us is free of judgment.

I will encourage self-reflection, provide comfort in times of crisis or distress, and may sometimes challenge the lenses through which you see the world. Our conversations may sometimes be difficult or emotionally challenging, but we will never push beyond where you want to go. Therapy can be occasionally uncomfortable, but you should always feel safe and that we are achieving goals that are meaningful to you.

• We will make decisions by working on them together.

• We will often focus on the here-and-now, and sometimes we will examine there-and-then.

• We will consider what you’ve learned, what lessons you want to keep, and what weight you’d like to leave behind, so that you can understand what paths you’ve taken to arrive at this moment and take control of what lies ahead.  

• We will work together on integrating these parts of your life and identity, so that you can look forward and be excited and confident about what is still to come. 

I will encourage self-reflection, provide comfort in times of crisis or distress, and may sometimes challenge the lenses through which you see the world.

Attachment

One of the central themes of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are available and responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a sense of security, confidence and emotional stability. The infant knows that the caregiver is dependable, which creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world. A child with secure attachment grows into adulthood with resilience, healthy self-esteem, and adaptive relationships with others.

As adults, attachment theory would suggest that the majority of us did not have all of our needs met as infants or children, and that the effects of this insecure attachment influence our decisions, behaviors, and overall worldview. Psychotherapy with a supportive, empathetic therapist has the potential to alter and repair these interpersonal attachment injuries.  Additional Reading on Attachment

Trauma-Informed Care

What does ‘trauma-informed’ mean?

A trauma-informed perspective changes the age-old approach in healthcare treatment that asks, “What’s wrong with you? What is broken, and what needs to be fixed?” and asks instead, 

“What happened to you?”

If you’re dealing with anxiety, painful symptoms, challenging emotions, defense mechanisms, and living in ways that you wish you could change, trauma-informed care asks what you’ve been through that required you to develop so many different ways to survive.

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) acknowledges that every single person has various experiences in their lives that fall on a vast spectrum of trauma, sometimes referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences. And because we are biologically built and neurologically wired to respond to traumatic experiences, we each have different ways that we’ve changed due to those experiences. 

We each carry different levels of resiliency. We each find different ways to cope.

And for many of us, the ways that we evolved to survive our traumas protected us, may have even saved our lives. But sometimes, those survival skills become part of our functioning in adulthood, and sometimes they even start to hold us back. Sometimes, those protective shields and defenses get stuck, and keep activating when we don’t need them anymore. Trauma-Informed Care takes a sociocultural perspective in identifying what happened to you, how it affected you, and focuses on an individualized path towards healing and recovery. 

• A trauma-informed therapist is aware of how scary it can be to face healing from trauma.

• A trauma-informed therapist will never tell you that you have to share your entire trauma narrative before you can heal, or in order to heal.

• A trauma-informed therapist will be focused on your agency, your voice, your rights, will always endeavor to build trust and maintain transparency.

• A trauma-informed therapist has the skills and knowledge to prevent re-traumatization, ensure safety, and build a relationship that feels secure enough to confront the things you fear.

Interpersonal Neurobiology

This method explores the effect that therapy has on the brain and how the brain mechanism is directly impacted by life experiences. In the past, experts believed that neurological growth stopped as late as early adulthood. Neuroplasticity demonstrates that the formation of new neurons and neurological links continue throughout people's entire lives. This relatively new information supports the theory of interpersonal neurobiology and offers evidence of its validity and efficacy. By understanding how these neurological links are affected, and similarly, how they affect the body, mind, and spirit as a whole, clinicians can better assist clients to rebuild and reconnect these links to achieve a healthier internal balance.