Psychotherapy
My approach is collaborative and proactive. I aim to help my clients find the balance between insight and action in the therapy process.
I integrate and utilize a number of approaches and schools of thought, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE), EMDR therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and attachment theory. I believe in tailoring my approach according to each client’s concerns, challenges, and unique cultural backgrounds with regard to family, race, ethnicity, class, gender identity expression, sexual orientation, religion, and ability. I am committed to helping people approach health and growth holistically, with consideration of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual factors that affect who they are and how they experience the world. At this time I am offering telehealth/virtual therapy sessions to individuals who are 18 years of age and older. I am not working with children/youth or couples/partners at this time.
I’m very invested in training other clinicians to learn Internal Family Systems. I’m an IFS Institute approved consultant, and I am being mentored toward becoming an Assistant Trainer. Additionally, my colleague Nic Wildes and I have created an IFS Foundations for Trans, Nonbinary, and Queer Clinicians course through QTIFS. Check out our workshops and trainings here.
A plant’s job is to grow. Sometimes it needs to move into a bigger pot.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
My main therapy approach is Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.
I have had the honor of witnessing profound transformation in the way that my clients relate to themselves and others.
Why do I love IFS so much?
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IFS recognizes multiplicity in all of us.
IFS normalizes the experience of having parts that are not always aligned with each other. It gives language to what may seem confusing or contradictory. In recognizing different parts, we find freedom from over-identification with any one aspect of our being.
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IFS helps us to find relief and healing.
IFS allows my clients to let go of the burdens they have been carrying for years and to experience a greater sense of internal balance. IFS has enormous potential to help people to heal from intergenerational or cultural/collective traumas.
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IFS fosters compassion.
As we allow ourselves to acknowledge different aspects of who we are, we start to make sense to ourselves and to be able witness our own experience without getting lost in it. IFS helps us to access our capacity to hold compassion for ourselves and our many parts.
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IFS integrates well with other approaches.
IFS works beautifully in conjunction with other approaches I use such as SE and EMDR. I collaborate with each client to determine what combination of approaches best fits your needs.
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IFS is non-pathologizing.
IFS doesn’t cast some parts of us as good or bad. In IFS, we say, “All parts welcome.” We move away from a deficit model and towards a model of removing obstacles to inner harmony.
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IFS is empowering.
IFS centers your own capacity to relate to yourself and what’s going on in your internal world. As a therapist, I only support and facilitate my clients in building their own capacity to heal.
Wondering if I might be a good fit for you as a therapist?
I may be a good fit for you as a therapist if you:
Understand that healing takes time, and you are ready to invest in this process
Are interested in IFS/parts work and/or somatic work
Are seeking deep, meaningful change in how you relate to yourself and others
Are ready to commit to weekly sessions and are interested in longer term work
Want someone who will ask questions and provide feedback
Want someone who will invite you to think about broader systems and cultural contexts
We probably aren’t a fit if you:
Want written homework assignments every week
Want someone to just listen, nod, and say, “mmm hmm”
Are not interested in IFS/parts work or somatic work
Expect therapy to be a quick fix or only want to do short-term work
Do not want to meet weekly/consistently
Please note: At this time I am not working with couples or with people under the age of 18.
I do EMDR with some ongoing clients; I do not provide adjunct EMDR.
If you are only looking for a letter for gender affirming medical interventions, you can indicate this on the form. Therapy is not a requirement. Click here to learn more about my commitment to The GALAP and writing free letters.
Get in touch to explore working together.
I’m happy to be able to offer IFS consultation to people who are interested in deepening their application of the IFS approach. I can offer consultation hours towards certification as well. Most of the people who seek IFS consultation from me have already taken a Level 1 training through IFSI, but I also provide consultation to people who have learned IFS through other avenues, including my IFS Foundations for Trans, Nonbinary, and Queer Clinicians course.
Please reach out if you’d like to discuss individual or group consultation. I have two IFS consultation groups at the moment, and they are full (each group has 6-8 people). Feel free to message me if you’d like to set up individual consultation or be notified of any group openings. I typically re-open groups twice a year (January and July).