Services
“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.”
-Bessel van der Kolk
The Body Keeps the Score
Family
In family therapy, we will work together as a team to explore the issues that are impacting your family's ability to communicate and connect effectively, and teach each member ways to improve the relationship with one another. I have experience with working with new parents and families with adolescents.
Individual
Individual therapy can be a transformative and healing process for you. I hope to walk with you to explore and understand the patterns of thoughts and behaviors that have been unhelpful for you, and build the skills to acknowledge your past and embrace your future.
Teens
It's hard to navigate the expectations to behave as an adult while still being seen as a child. I strive to understand and grow with you throughout this process in finding your voice. While this can be an individual process, I encourage parents to also engage in therapy to help facilitate change.
Through this process, we will explore intergenerational patterns, socio-cultural norms, and family roles that contribute to the difficulties in connecting to yourself and others.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT is an evidenced-based treatment developed to address the emotional and mental health needs of individuals experiencing chronic suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviors, and impulsivity. With DBT, we will focus on honing skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
For more information on DBT, please visit https://my.clevelandclinic.org/
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a highly researched and effective therapy which examines the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behavioral, and how it contributes to our negative experiences. In sessions, we will work on building insight and awareness to the underlying dynamics that contribute to the development of these thought and behavioral patterns, and develop skills to change them to adaptive ways of being.
For more information on CBT, please visit https://www.apa.org/
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidenced-based treatment, developed for individuals who have experienced distressing and/or disturbing life events. The model is focused on accessing our brains natural information processing system. When we experience trauma, our ability to effectively process the experience is interrupted. EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation (i.e. eye-movements, tapping, etc.) to access out brain's natural processing system to help us heal from the trauma.
For more information on EMDR, please check out the video or visit https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
8 Phases of EMDR
Phase 1: History Taking and Treatment Planning
In this phase, we'll explore your history, and collaborate to target the memories for us to reprocess. We'll also spend some time exploring your internal and external resources for support.
Phase 2: Preparation
We'll spend some time discussing EMDR in greater lengths, set expectations, address any concerns or questions you may have about the process, and equip you with coping skills to help you throughout reprocessing.
Phase 3: Assessment
During assessment, we'll identify the memory/event for us to reprocess, and establish a baseline to measure the changes throughout reprocessing.
Phase 4: Desensitization
In this phase, we'll start using dual attention bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or auditory stimulation) while exploring the memory, allowing the brain's natural processing system to develop new thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations to replace the distressing ones.
Phase 5: Installation
We'll focus on solidifying a positive, alternative belief to associate with the memory until it feels true.
Phase 6: Body Scan
We'll conduct a body scan to see if you're feeling any tension or disturbance to reprocess, so that we're not leaving any distress behind, since our bodies can hold onto stress and trauma.
Phase 7: Closure
Whether we are able to complete reprocessing, or need to continue in our next sessions, we'll use this phase to ensure that you're feeling calm before leaving our session.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
In this last phase, we'll review the changes, and make sure the memories are fully reprocessed. We'll start this process again with other events or memories that have caused any distress for you.