My Approach

It is essential for you to feel comfortable with your therapist – research has shown that a strong therapeutic relationship is an important predictor of therapeutic success. As such, a primary goal of mine is to facilitate the development of a relationship in which you feel comfortable to be authentically yourself, to discuss difficult topics and experiences, and to access a wide range of emotions. I tend to be a very warm, active, and collaborative therapist. I will be open and frank about what I am hearing in your words and how I am understanding your struggles. I will ask you if my understanding resonates with you, and if any of it does not, we will work together to determine what feels more accurate to you. It is my hope that our collaboration will empower you to better understand yourself and to achieve your therapeutic goals, whether that be to improve your relationships, self-concept, or life satisfaction; to develop concrete strategies for symptom management; to change specific problematic behaviors; or any other goal. 

I have been trained in a variety of evidence-based therapeutic modalities. To respect your individuality and unique needs, I maintain a flexible and eclectic therapeutic approach, often drawing from the following:  

My primary theoretical orientation is psychodynamic and relational, which means that I often pay special attention to how interpersonal dynamics may be relevant in your symptoms and struggles, and how interpersonal experiences throughout your life may contribute to your current pattern of relating. Through developing insight, we can work together to determine which aspects of these patterns are working for you and which aspects are not (even if they were functional at one point in your life). This frees you to experiment with new ways of relating and to determine if an alternative might give way to a greater sense of satisfaction and well-being.  

I frequently incorporate cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking styles that may contribute to your symptoms and struggles. Through this process, we will actively challenge and replace maladaptive thoughts and beliefs with more realistic and helpful alternatives. I will also assist you in concrete and active problem-solving, as needed, which may include developing specific behavioral plans and coping strategies.

Too often, we get stuck in ruminations about the past or worries about the future, to the point that we miss out on living fully in the present moment. Alternatively, we get so caught up in our daily activities that we rob ourselves of the opportunity to acknowledge, sit with, and honor our inner experiences. Living mindlessly and getting entangled in incessant thinking and doing are often correlates of a variety of mental health concerns. As such, developing the capacity for mindfulness can often be a valuable part of psychotherapy. Mindfulness comes into my work as a psychologist in a variety of ways. At a foundational level, I hope to engage you in a process of mutual curiosity about what you're experiencing, both in life in general and in the therapy room. The therapy hour provides an opportunity to slow down, turn inward, and reflect on your experience. This fundamental mindful stance will be present throughout our work and is a component of both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. We will also identify if you might be fighting or resisting any aspects of your experience, and we will work on fostering greater self-acceptance while simultaneously working towards meaningful change. Additionally, we may determine if specific mindfulness and meditative strategies may be useful for you to implement in your life, in the service of symptom relief or alteration of maladaptive interpersonal, cognitive, or behavioral patterns.