There are many approaches to therapy, and they work in different ways.  There is good research showing that one of the most important factors to a positive experience in therapy is the connection that is developed between client and therapist.  You need to feel that you are seen and understood, and that you are collaborating with your therapist on what is most important to you.

Everything I practice rests on a client-centered foundation.  This means I regard you with deep respect, openly receive your story and everything you bring, and believe in your capacity to heal and get better.  My approach to working with you will involve getting to know you, understanding your perspective and preferences, and working together with you in ways that I think are most likely to help.

I draw from a number of therapeutic approaches and theories, including talk therapy (psychodynamic), attachment theory, trauma therapies, research in neuroscience, and couple therapy.  Depending on your situation and goals, we may engage in more than one of these approaches.  Here’s a little more about these therapies:

Talk therapy.  In many ways, talk therapy is like having a conversation.  We talk about what is important to you.  I listen, seek to understand, ask questions, offer feedback and another perspective.  We check in regularly about how we are progressing toward your goals.  Talk therapy allows you to give voice to those things that are most perplexing or painful, and to explore how to change and grow.

EMDR (trauma therapy).  I am an EMDRIA-certified therapist.  EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed as a way of processing traumatic memories so that they no longer cause disturbance that interferes with everyday life or creates undue suffering.  Many research studies have shown the effectiveness of this technique for healing trauma and PTSD, and it has also proved effective for other conditions, including anxiety, depression, phobias, panic disorders, and performance enhancement.

DNMS (also known as ego state therapy). DNMS (Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy) makes use of ego state therapy, sometimes referred to as “parts work,” to help heal wounds from earlier in our lives that are still with us and are impacting our well-being and relationships.  This form of therapy works with not only the “bad things” that happened (trauma), but also the “good things” that we needed but did not get in our earlier lives. Click here to view a video about DNMS.