I would describe my therapeutic style as integrative. The practice of integrative psychotherapy treats the whole individual: mind, body, behavior, and spirit. An integrative psychotherapist will explore disowned, disengaged, or disempowered parts of the self and seek to unify them with the cohesive whole. An integrative psychotherapist seamlessly blends somatic therapeutic modalities (somatic meaning "of the body") with more traditional insight-oriented therapies as a means to increase awareness, a sense of aliveness, spontaneity and flexibility, problem-solving skills, and curiosity. To read more about integrative therapy and its benefits, go here.

All emotions are experienced physiologically. Think about it: how do you know you're angry? How do you know you're anxious? There are sensations that are happening at the physiological level giving you those cues (e.g. you feel pressure in your chest, heat in your face, your throat tightening, nauseous or tingling in your belly, etc.). Somatic methods (I utilize Gestalt Therapy as well as mindfulness techniques for this) direct attention to these sensations in your body, versus the thoughts related to the emotions themselves, or your interpretation of those feelings or thoughts. Instead, through a gently guided approach, somatic therapies allow you to move through these sensations in a "bottoms-up" approach, allowing you to explore emotional, mental, and physical issues from a nervous system perspective. If you have more questions or would like to inquire about additional resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

I love online therapy because it allows me to work with busy parents, professionals who need to meet on their lunch break, and people in rural areas or without reliable transportation. It means no waiting and travel time, no extra cost for gas or an Uber driver, no parking expense, and you won’t have to take time off work or other priorities. Plus, it’s 100% HIPAA compliant and secure. Of course, there are some drawbacks and people for whom online therapy is not appropriate. If you are experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms or active suicidal thoughts, remote counseling is not for you, as online therapists cannot respond in crisis situations. Otherwise, we work creatively to adapt as much as possible to this format — including body-based/somatic work, EMDR, and screen sharing capabilities for psycho-education and online learning.

Studies have demonstrated (here’s one for reference, though others are Google-able: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662387/) that client treatment via remote counseling (“Telehealth”) versus in-person therapy results in similar outcomes. Anecdotally, clients are often surprised by how similar the videoconferencing experience can feel to being in-person together. In fact, many folks come to prefer it.

Some days, therapy will feel like a warm hug, or like hanging out with a trusted friend. Other days it will feel like the kind of uncomfortable you feel when you’re going through growing pains, or pushing past your comfort zone. Some days you might walk away feeling like you just ran a marathon. Other days you may end feeling just as stuck as when you began, and that’s okay, too. It’s all important, and it’s all a part of the process.

One important thing to know about therapy is that sometimes you feel worse before you feel better. This just means you're growing, and change is hard work. I will encourage you not to let the "worse" part scare you into quitting before the "better" happens.

Finding the right therapist for you can sometimes feel like online dating... It's tough to know who is on the other side of the screen!

For that reason I like to offer a free "get to know each other" video appointment so that we can both decide if we're a good fit. This free 20-minute consultation is a relaxed and safe environment for us to talk about your goals and for me to answer any questions you might have about the process.

Sometimes a fresh perspective, fresh energy, or a different style of therapy can help us shift and change in new ways. Sometimes it’s the 57th time you've heard something that – for whatever reason – is said in just the right way that it finally makes sense. As you may have already read about me, I’m not a nod and smile, blank screen therapist. I’m direct, transparent, and will (lovingly) challenge you to challenge yourself throughout our work together.

But don’t rely on website jargon. Schedule a free “get to know each other” video appointment with me to see if we might be a good fit.