my approach:
thoughts for new clients:
ABOUT ME:
I focus on trauma, life transitions, LGBTQIA issues, and how adverse experiences impact an individual’s ability to effectively respond to life’s many difficulties. I also work with individuals on the autism spectrum to help individuals better navigate relationship and communication issues, as well as increasing self-awareness. Everyone deserves to live a life of purpose and meaning. I strive to help clients increase their sense of agency, feel more connected with themselves, and become better attuned to the world around them. I also write letters of readiness for those seeking gender affirming care.
I am trained in Internal Family Systems and other parts-oriented therapies that form the foundation of my practice. I compliment this work with additional training in somatic practices like mindfulness and meditation. My work is informed by what I call a politics of compassion, emphasizing that each person is deserving of kindness, respect, and help regardless of what they have done or the difficulties they have experienced. This means that the work I do with clients aims to assist the whole person and not just the parts that feel like a burden. I use an eclectic and integrative approach responsive to client’s needs and capabilities, helping to evoke a client’s innate tools for healing.
I believe that the therapist and client are fellow travelers: while the client does the change work in and outside of session, it is the responsibility of the therapist to hold space and provide the roadmap for navigating the process of healing. At its best, this can be a journey of mutual learning and appreciation for each person. Building on the idea of a safe space, I believe that to do therapy is to enter a brave space. It is about finding the courage to create the desired change in your life, which sometimes requires us to lean into the discomfort that comes with greater self-awareness and acceptance.
I am a queer, nonbinary social worker, artist, and former art historian who loves growing ferns and crocheting. I have nearly 10 years of experience in running recovery meetings that focused on working through the effects of childhood trauma and substance use, along with other mutual aid activities centered on mental health for young adults and sex work decriminalization.
