Couples
I am couples therapist, trained in various relational models. I aim to assist you in improving and maintaining healthy relationships with the people you love most. The couples I see are eager to get more out of their commitment to one another. I am an enthusiastic mediator who enjoys learning the recipes for successful partnerships as well as the ingredients of marital distress.
Newlyweds, new parents, older parents, grieving parents and couples struggling with infidelity all have their own recipes. I coach couples on the language of empathy while providing guidance through the healing process. Couples subsequently learn the pathway to forgiveness and relationship fulfillment.
I am a Level 1 practitioner of the The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy and have over 15 years of working with relationships.
Infidelity
Many of my past and current clients have been affected by extramarital affairs. I believe affairs have a lot to teach us about relationships. This sense of betrayal not only compels us to grieve for the vision we had for our relationship, but also forces us to ask ourselves what we expect, what we think, what we want and what we feel entitled to.
In our sessions I will join you in your healing and stimulate dialogue between you and your loved ones about fidelity, loyalty, desire, truth-telling and forgiveness. Harrowing experiences of betrayal have shown me that there is always hope, growth and transformation.
Since I have the honor of meeting with partners solo as well as together, I get a window into the story of the unfaithful partner and also create a space for those directly affected by their decisions.
Divorce
As a child of divorced parents, I can relate to the emotional, “true feeling” stories about the many facets of divorce.
During this challenging process, we struggle with a major loss and have to take time out to nurture ourselves back to health again. Your marriage, your family and your role as a partner or parent was your plan A. Divorce requires us to develop Plan B.
I believe that, like any disruptive change in a family’s dynamic, growth will prevail. I aim to convince my clients that there’s life on the other side of a painful divorce. In this afterlife we profit from encouragement, resiliency, and wisdom.
psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Working closely with my medical team, I offer (KAP) Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. KAP is a holistic psychedelic modality, in which ketamine is used to complement psychotherapy for eligible clients. Ketamine helps us get unstuck and experience long-lasting improvement and decrease maladaptive symptoms, particularly those struggling with depression, anxiety, PTSD and other illnesses, or those facing a roadblock in their current talk therapy.
If you are curious to learn more about KAP and if it might be a good fit for you, I encourage you to spend some time researching. Below are some brief and helpful places to get started:
Depression & Anxiety
Although the symptoms of depression and anxiety can be all-consuming, they are fortunately treatable. If you struggle with depression and anxiety you are not alone. It can interfere with your every day life and we cannot just “snap out of it.” Most people need treatment to feel better. Many symptoms such as sadness, feeling hopeless, loss of pleasure, decreased energy and irritability are common.
I’d like to help you change any negative thinking by helping you interpret your interactions in a positive, realistic way. It helps to recognize and change the behaviors that may be making your depression worse.
Because depression and anxiety manifest itself differently in everyone, no two people will respond the same to treatment. This is why I take time not only to empathize but also to create an individualized roadmap to get you back to enjoying your life again.
Trauma
Trauma is a psychophysical experience, even when the traumatic event causes no bodily harm. These events take a toll on the body as well as the mind. It is important that we understand how the brain and the body process, remember and recall traumatic events. This is key to the treatment of trauma.
In my work with those struggling with trauma, I vow to be there, to listen, and to show respect while encouraging your self esteem and resiliency. Through our hard work you will begin to feel more empowered to take the necessary steps to rebuilding yourself.
I believe it’s important to look at the messages we have learned from our traumas and make new constructive meaning from our past. Your trauma is a PART of who you are, not ALL of who you are.
Young Adults
It’s important that young adults find a therapist who is a “good fit” for them. This “fit” improves their willingness to benefit effectively from therapy. Young adults should be able to connect and feel comfortable with their therapist who is going to hear their most intimate thoughts and feelings.
I have enjoyed spending years listening attentively to and getting to know the underlying emotions young adults sometimes hide from others. The cause of these emotions are critical in truly and authenticity understanding young adults.
Young adults are eager to be heard, encouraged, and supported. I take pride in my work with them, focused on empathy, rather than analysis.
LGBTQ
Research suggest that LGBTQ individuals are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and addiction or substance-abuse. Due to the stigma and discrimination LGBTQ individual’s may face on a regular basis from society, family members, peers, coworkers, and even classmates, there is a unique risk for addiction and mood disorders.
Faced with such challenges, these individuals need a space to be encouraged and supported. My goal is to build a bridge through understanding and authentic dialogue about the complex world in which we live.
My practice is grounded in low-risk, high-support dialogue. I strive to provide a safe place for young people and adults wishing to explore the self, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.
Professional Consultation
The work of psychotherapy requires not only good self-care but also a “tribe” support. My mentorship of seasoned therapists and clinicians new to the field is as enriching to me as it is to my colleagues.
Our consultations will focus on therapy from a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural perspective, with special attention placed on effective communication, whole-hearted listening and repairing and rebuilding relationships. We will combine case presentations with theoretical discussion, and hands-on skills practice. Training will integrate psychodynamic, attachment, and systemic theories, as well as cognitive-behavioral approaches.
Consultations are available via phone, video conferencing or in person. Email or call to arrange an initial consultation. I’m flexible. Whether you need anything from a short-term, 30 minute session to ongoing meetings, I look forward to collaborating with you to best suit your clinical needs.