Therapy in Practice

My talk therapy approach is humanistic, eclectic, and at times existential.

I work to honor your personal experience and how you perceive the world, notice and highlight strengths and the adaptations that you employ to survive or thrive, and offer support in holding and grieving some of the “heaviness” that can come with being human.

This may include providing psycho-education about our mind and body integration and basic CBT/DBT principles and skills where appropriate.

Part of ongoing therapy work often includes assessment for additional external supports outside of the limits of my own scope of practice. For example, we may hit certain clinical needs or topics that are better addressed by a higher level of care or a colleague with a more specific specialty. In these instances, I work to help navigate the challenges of the larger mental health and substance use recovery systems.

In art therapy we may utilize art-making as an introspective process, a mindfulness-based coping skill, or as a way to experience freedom, play, and catharsis. You are not expected to have training or skill as an artist when using art in therapy but a willingness to explore is encouraged!

If working together in person, you’ll have access to the studio space which provides a wide variety of art supplies. This includes but is not limited to materials for drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, and crafting. I welcome clients to make themselves at home during sessions, and you are also welcome to bring in any projects or materials you prefer to use.

For virtual sessions, we can discuss what kinds of supplies you may have access to and adapt from there. Working with our hands while talking can be a powerful self-soothing and grounding tool, and I’m always open to this during session.

For more on Art Therapy: American Art Therapy Association

Discovered by Dr. Francine Shapiro, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy is one of the most researched and utilized methods in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other forms of human distress connected to trauma and adverse life experiences. It involves activating the parts of our brain that store traumatic memories within the safety and containment of a session.

I was trained in EMDR in October of 2023 and have been incorporating it with interested clients ever since. I have completed my additional 10 hours of consultation and can say I am formally trained in EMDR, and I receive ongoing consultation as I work toward certification.

If interested in EMDR as a new or ongoing client, we work to take time to build up the internal and external resources necessary to navigate the intense emotional challenges that may surface. We can engage in EMDR both in person or virtually, at your own pace and with the support of my clinical judgment.