Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

The overarching lens I work through is psychodynamic, a depth oriented approach to psychology that emphasizes unconscious processes that often develop in our early life and continue to impact our present day reality.

This approach helps to bring awareness to our unconscious behaviors, emotions, and thoughts by exploring our attachment styles and relational experiences, family stories, coping mechanisms, and unconscious layers of thoughts and feeling. As this unconscious material becomes known and understood it can be integrated into our conscious lives allowing one to experience increased sense of self worth and esteem, reduced inner conflict, greater psychological flexibility, and ability for meaning making. 

Art Therapy

Art therapy is an approach I weave into sessions for those wanting to create art. It offers a direct path to the implicit, emotional, and unconscious experiences we hold. The process of creating in and of itself is greatly therapeutic and the final image often supports meaning making and insight development. Art therapy is conducive to the integration of the left and right hemispheres of the brain which can enhance mind/body connection and nervous system regulation. It allows for the release of stored up emotion and energy and can help to deepen and integrate processing. 

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a structured psychotherapy model that uses bilateral stimulation to reduce the severity of symptoms and distress associated with unresolved traumatic life experiences that continue to have a negative impact on life in the present day. 

Because therapy is dynamic and ever evolving, I continue to receive monthly depth-oriented training and consultation, focused on modern psychoanalysis, attachment, and contemplative approaches. In addition, I receive art therapy supervision as needed. 

I am forever a student and will continue to seek out trainings to expand my perspective, knowledge, and expertise. I am currently completing a training on maternal mental health. In the past, I have completed trainings in contemplative psychotherapy; trauma grief and renewal, dreamwork, attachment theory, embodied recovery for disorder eating, somatic and attachment focused EMDR, advanced integrative therapy, internal family systems, and sandtray. As I get to know my clients more and have a good understanding of their hopes, desires and intentions for therapy, when appropriate I integrate aspects of my trainings into client care.