How I Work
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.
Beautiful people do not just happen.”
— Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
The Therapy Relationship
In therapy, you are invited to openly share about your life in the safety of a caring and trustworthy relationship. You are encouraged to explore your concerns at a depth that may not be possible elsewhere. For this reason, it’s important to find a therapist you can trust.
At the heart of psychotherapy is the therapeutic relationship. It's through this connection that the transformative work of therapy occurs. It’s a bond that holds space for tears, laughter, and every emotion in between as you work through your challenges in a thorough and meaningful way.
I seek to create a safe and trustworthy relationship where you will feel comfortable and at ease sharing your concerns. I want you to have the space, encouragement and safety needed to explore your life and the deeper parts of yourself. My approach is warm, compassionate and accepting – I listen deeply and inquire thoroughly as an active and engaged presence in our sessions together. I cultivate depth and presence in my work so I can support you through your most difficult experiences and places of pain. I affirm your strengths and honor your courage as you work through what your are facing and move forward on your path of healing and growth.
Therapeutic
Approach
My way of working as a psychologist can be described as an in-depth approach to therapy which considers the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Issues and concerns are considered within the context of your life, and viewed in a holistic way. While therapy often involves working through painful circumstances and difficult situations, we will always honor your strengths as well. Inner strength and resilience are important qualities that help us navigate all of life’s challenges. My approach affirms those strengths and asserts that you can move toward healing and resilience even in the midst of your most difficult challenges.
My therapeutic approach is rooted in a blend of several theories, all of which have significant overlap and work together in a harmonious way. Over a long professional journey, I have come to embrace these particular models through observing what has been most helpful to clients as well as what has been healing in my own personal journey.
The approaches I use include:
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Depth Psychology
Helps us gain insight into our behaviors and emotions, develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, and find new ways of relating to others and the world around us.
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Family Systems
A holistic approach that emphasizes the importance of early family relationships and generational patterns.
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Relational-Cultural
Asserts that creating and maintaining growth-fostering relationships is vital for our health and wellbeing, and brings a richness to our lives that can help us truly flourish.
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Transpersonal or Spiritual Psychology
A branch of psychology rather than a model or theory. It explores the intersection of spirituality and psychology, aiming to integrate a diversity of experiences and insights into psychological growth and well-being.
More About the Healing Journey
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOW I WORK
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Telling your story can be an important part of psychotherapy. While there are certainly times when it is not needed or necessary, understanding an issue within the context of your life is often very helpful in resolving it. Many of the here-and-now challenges we face have their roots in the prior experiences and earlier relationships of our lives. Working through the root cause of the issue along with the current concern always brings about a more thorough healing experience.
While most people come to therapy to address an issue or concern, some people initiate psychotherapy specifically to reflectively review their lives with the help of a professional ally. Telling your story up to a certain point in your life often gives you a chance to take stock of your life, make adjustments or amends where necessary, and plan for the kind of future you want for yourself. I believe people of all ages are more frequently using therapy in this way because they want to live their lives more intentionally, with meaning and purpose.
It is always a privilege to be entrusted with hearing a life story, or an aspect of one’s story. Whether it is done as a part of working through an issue or as a reflective review, deeply listening to a person’s story is always an honor. Each of our journeys are important, and tending to your life journey in such an intentional way is quite powerful and almost always transformative.
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Becoming a seasoned counselor is a continually evolving process where a person is honed and shaped by years of being in the field. The ability to be useful to others comes not only through training and experience, but also through years of one’s own journey of healing. I have used psychotherapy to heal my own wounds, and have personally experienced the powerful transformation it can bring. In fact, my own growth through personal life struggles is part of what helps me to relate so deeply with clients, and has also been an amazing training ground for my work as a psychologist.
Throughout my career, I have been heavily influenced by a legacy of professional mentors, therapists and supervisors who were “wounded healers”. I have repeatedly been moved by their astounding presence and remarkable capacity to be helpful to clients. I have aspired to follow in their footsteps by staying faithful to my own healing journey. They modeled that an ongoing commitment to personal healing and growth is a lifelong endeavor, and is essential to working wholeheartedly as a therapist.
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I believe in the power of psychotherapy and am very honored to do the work I do. It is rewarding to be a professional ally with people as they examine their lives, and take brave risks toward healing and transformation.
The decision to begin therapy is often a powerful gesture of self-care, and a way to intentionally value the importance of your life journey. As we compassionately embrace who we are and all that we have experienced, we are better able to be our true selves...authentic, soulful, and present.
It is inspiring to be a witness to what unfolds as people heal from painful experiences and begin to follow their hearts to create the life they deeply desire.
“Loving yourself means being your own best friend,
Standing by yourself at all times, including times of failure;
Being there for yourself no matter what.”
— Anita Moorjani