Services
About My Clients
Over the years, I’ve noticed that almost everyone develops ways of coping that work in the short term but cost too much in the long term. They end up functioning in survival mode. They find themselves stuck: trying to figure things out that perhaps can't be figured out, trying to change things that perhaps can’t be changed, or held back by fear of the unknown or of failure. If any of this sounds familiar, let's talk.
My Background and Approach
I value creating a non-judgmental space where you can allow yourself to be fully human. I don't think of psychotherapy as the treatment of a diagnosis, but rather, as the development of a therapeutic relationship that provides the supportive context needed for meaningful change. I started studying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in 2005, and since that time I have used its guiding philosophy and principles not only with my clients but also in my own personal life. I want to help you do two things, broadly speaking (1) become better at feeling (vs. merely feeling better) and (2) create a life of meaning and purpose. I do this by helping you develop a different relationship with your thoughts and feelings, by teaching you how to live in the present more often and how to practice self-compassion, and by challenging you to step outside of your comfort zone when that's what's needed to maintain or create a life that feels vital and worth living.
Why I Became a Therapist
When I was an adolescent, I saw a psychologist during my parents' custody battle, and I have wanted to be a psychologist ever since. I had been acting out in anger at school, and after I spent some time in the first therapy session sharing the things that were going on in my life, the psychologist said to me, "Well *of course* you're angry." That revelatory validation provided the context I needed to start my lifelong journey of healing and growth. Over the years, I have returned to therapy during difficult times because I know firsthand that it can be life changing. My work is about paying it forward.