How I work
I believe that each individual already has the wisdom and knowledge needed for their own well-being and healing. My role as a therapist is to act as a guide along this journey and provide the tools to work with and help one get in touch with the inherently healing force within each individual. I believe a person has to work with their whole being – the body, the mind, the emotions, and the spirit – to effect healing. It is in the relationship between the various realities of a person that healing is released.
In therapy, my approach is tailored to the needs of each individual. While I would describe my therapeutic approach as eclectic, I emphasize the importance of a strong, compassionate therapeutic relationship and work primarily from a client-centered model. From there, I mainly work from an Internal Family Systems (IFS) appraoch while also being infomed by narrative, emotion focused, mindfulness, attachment, strengths/resiliency based approaches, Gestalt experiential exercises (2 chair work), feminist, neuroscience, polyvagal theory.
Anti-oppression is an essential component of my approach – for me this means recognizing not only that discrimination exists but that who we are in the world affects how we experience our lives.
Therapy is a process of growth and self-discovery, and in my sessions I support the process by helping individuals to get a "little space from the issue" to actually develop a different relationship with the parts of ourselves that are feeling troublesome at present.
When the parts of ourselves that are angry, hurt or sad are seen, validated and supported, transformation occurs.
