Approach

Consider two core desires: the desire to live and the desire to be known.

In a world where we can experience the pain of loss, rejection, and injury, and where our early years are marked by our complete dependence on others’ attention and care for our survival, many of us unconsciously allow the drive for self-preservation to overshadow or frighten us away from a longing to be fully known — undefended.

At times, we think we are being ourselves, but we may find that we are trapped in a strategic state — trying to manage how others perceive us, engaging in a kind of vitality-draining "PR" rather than embracing the risk of letting the world witness and respond to our essence. It's natural. Adapting to others' expectations and attempting to manage their responses can make life feel safer and more predictable. The challenge is that over time, too much of this self-protection can lead to feelings of deadness, confusion, and a painful disconnect between who we are inside and how we present ourselves to the world. This can leave us feeling like we don’t have the life we truly want.

Protection has its place and purpose. Rather than condemning or eradicating your defenses, our work together will focus on observing them with curiosity, understanding, and perhaps even appreciation for their origins and service to you. Often, the most challenging or seemingly destructive impulses, patterns, and ways of relating aren’t inherently "bad," but rather ill-fitting because they are outgrown. Therapy is a space where you can disarm in safety, with the understanding that what we might be ashamed of is often what makes us most relatable. It’s also a space to rediscover things we may have lost along the way—like the freedom to play, ease with silence, and trust in our own spontaneity. Bringing buried or unconscious parts of ourselves to the surface can be difficult and painful, but it can also be liberating, exciting, and fun.

My integrative approach combines several modalities, including:

Psychodynamic Therapy: Investigating how your past experiences shape your present, and uncovering the dynamic interplay between conscious and unconscious motivations and behavior.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Understanding the relationship between thoughts, feelings, actions, and their outcomes.
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Identifying and understanding the various parts of your psyche, especially the adaptive or protective ones, and how they interact and guide you.
Mindfulness: Focusing on the present moment, helping you connect with the “here and now.”
Somatic Exploration: Reconnecting with your body’s sensations and internal experiences.
Interpersonal Relational Therapy: Gaining insight into yourself through the exploration of your relationships — including our relationship.

Together, we'll understand the barriers that have kept you from your truest self, empowering you to live with greater authenticity, freedom, and purpose.