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  • Individual Therapy

    You’re here because you know you need to do things differently.

    You’re burned out.

    You engage in patterns of behavior that no longer serve you.

    You question your decisions, believing that you just need to make the “right” one.

    You’ve “gotten by just fine” because anxiety is a great motivator AND you’re ready to let go of productivity as the source of your value and self-worth.

    You feel like the things important in your life are at odds with one another and you just can’t seem to reconcile them.

    You want to finally be yourself and live your values in your career and relationships.

    You know what you “should” do to get out of your current rut and, although you probably could do it on your own, you just want to do what is going to work now.

    That’s where I come in.

    Help From Day 1.

    Prior to the first session, clients fill out paperwork, including a client history form and some questionnaires regarding  symptoms. I’ll review your responses in advance so I can better target my questions during our first session. I can then more effectively conduct a thorough assessment (my need, particularly if you’re using insurance) and have time remaining to offer you something therapeutic (your need!). This is the best way I’ve found to balance getting a comprehensive view of you and your issues while also addressing the fact that you are coming in to therapy to get help and get help from day one.

     

    Treatment Directed by You.

    Our second session follows a similar pattern but focused on treatment planning. We’ll envision the future you want for yourself, i.e., what you’ll be doing once you’ve resolved whatever it is you’re coming into therapy for. We use this image as motivation and work backwards, identifying measurable steps that can be taken towards this future and skills that can be learned and strengthened to help you get there. Because we’re already talking about goals while treatment planning, this session naturally flows into identifying something concrete you can work on to start overcoming your barriers and begin taking steps forward.

     

    Skills, Skills, Skills.

    The following sessions are dedicated to getting you the practical tools you need to efficiently and effectively make changes to your life. This might include how to regulate your emotions or change your relationship with your emotions; how to get through crises without making the situation worse; how to accept what might feel unacceptable; how to be engaged and fully present in your life; and/or how to assert needs and boundaries so you can live a life according to your values. I will teach skills, you will have the opportunity to practice them in session, you’ll practice them out in the real world, and then come back in and we’ll analyze your use of them.

     

    Therapeutic Approaches

    My therapeutic approach is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Both are skills based, with mindfulness as the foundation of all skills. This is more than just “talk therapy.” Yes, we’ll definitely talk and process emotions (this in itself is a skill) but we will both be active in your sessions. This means I will model skillful and effective behavior, I will teach you tools, we will practice them in session, you’ll apply them in your day to day life, and we’ll talk through what’s working and what’s not.

    Specialties

    • Anxiety
    • Behavior/Habit Change
    • Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
    • Depression
    • Dilemmas and Indecision
    • Life Transitions
    • Relationship Conflict
    • Women’s Issues
    • Family of Origin Issues
    • Cultural and Racial Identity Issues
    • Limit Setting and Saying ‘No’
    • Clarifying Needs and Values
    • Increasing Self-Awareness

    Take a step forward.