First and foremost, my goal is to offer a psychotherapy experience that promotes hope and facilitates healing and recovery from toxic stress, trauma and other negative life events. To accomplish this, I try to remain well-grounded in the findings from research over the last 25 years on the neurobiology of trauma and the relationship between childhood adversity and difficulty in adulthood. (For more information on ACES, please see the "More on Toxic Stress & Trauma" tab on the left).
To help you achieve your treatment goals, I often employ somatic and mindfulness-based approaches that do not necessitate the "re-telling" of traumatic events, which can be re-traumatizing and unproductive. Additionally, though difficulties may have their origins in the past, the focus of my approach is firmly in the present - understanding the ways in which past experiences interfere with how you want to live your life now. Instead of working solely from a traditional "top-down" approach, relying on intellect, language and thoughts, I look to weave in "bottom-up" experiences, which focus on that which is felt in the body and is experienced by the emotional part of the brain, since we have found that this is where trauma is actually stored. When you think about some of the symptoms that you experience, this begins to make alot of sense.
While at first, this description may raise more questions than provide answers, I want to reassure you that my approach is still about developing a secure and safe relationship, having a great deal of curiosity about you and your experiences, and providing meaningful interactions that help you experience life differently. I will offer eduction and explanation for what we do and why we do it and I will provide you with resources to explore outside of the therapy session so that there is every opportunity for it all to begin to make sense.
As a foundation for the trauma work, I rely heavily on attachment theory as well as ego state therapy (aka "parts" work). This allows me to assist individuals with feeling accepted and more connected to others in their life as well as develop a compassionate awareness of the internal parts of themselves that have developed throughout their lives.
To learn more about the approaches that I employ, please check out the videos, books, and other materials on the "Other Helpful Information" tab.
