Engaging the mind, minding the body, and healing the heart

Mind, body, and emotions make up the different levels of what it is to be human. Some psychotherapy or counseling approaches prioritize one of these levels, even devaluing or ignoring the others. I believe that since each of these levels is engaged as we connect with others and move through the world, each level needs to be honored and attended to in counseling.

The container

I believe that a central part of our work involves creating a relationship that will allow the therapy to be contained. I work to create an environment where trust can develop, and where there is emotional and personal connection. Trust, honesty, and confidentiality are essential requirements for the real work of counseling.

Integrative approaches
 
I use a whole range of tools and techniques in our work together. These will be determined by who you are, the nature of the work, the duration of our time together, and where you are in your journey of personal development.  I draw from training in several different theoretical approaches, all integrated through a focus on mindfulness. These approaches include: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Self-compassion, Sensorimotor psychotherapy, EMDR and somatically integrated EMDR (Natural Processing).

The work and its fruits

These therapeutic approaches enable people to become aware of unhealthy reactive and automatic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. By reacting in an automatic and unconscious manner, we unwittingly maintain negative patterns and the unnecessary suffering which arises as a result. In therapy, I will work with you to identify and change these patterned self-defeating behaviors, emotions, and beliefs. We’ll work to identify practices that will help you respond mindfully and with compassion to your experience.