How I Approach Therapy with Adults

Adults are dealing with complex struggles every day.

I approach my work with adults with an understanding that being in therapy can be life-changing and also very hard. Opening up, trusting someone, examining the past, and dreaming of the future can feel incredibly vulnerable. Because of this, I have true admiration for anyone that is looking to take the next steps with therapy. 

When a tree experiences a storm, the roots grow stronger and deeper in response. I believe that human beings respond to hardship in a similar way, growing in resilience. Many difficulties can leave us feeling weakened and hopeless. I see therapy as a time to safely heal from life’s difficulties, becoming even sturdier in response.

While I approach each client and each session uniquely, there are tenants that remain consistent throughout my work.

Emotional Safety: I believe it is my job to create an environment that is safe, dependable and compassionate. Emotional safety helps clients to explore, be themselves, take risks, face challenges, make changes and feel connected. These are all pieces of the healing and growth process.

The Unconscious Mind: Human beings are incredibly complex. Part of this complexity comes from thoughts and feelings that are out of our awareness. Many of life’s confusions can be better understood through gaining an awareness of what is happening unconsciously. Greater understanding involves talking openly and exploring one’s thoughts and feelings more deeply. An awareness of unconscious thoughts and feelings leads to an increased ability to make informed decisions and changes in your life.

Creating Changes: Most people are coming to therapy because they want some kind of change to occur in their inner world of thoughts and feelings or their outer world of circumstances and relationships. I believe it is the therapist’s job to not simply help clients talk about change but to help with the actual implementation of changes. I consider it an honor to walk alongside my clients as they courageously make adjustments to a multitude of areas in their lives.

Somatic (Body) Psychology: I see the mind and body as being connected. As one heals, so does the other. For this reason, I offer somatic interventions to clients who are looking to grow in the health of their bodies and nervous system regulation. Somatic interventions are especially helpful for clients seeking support for emotion regulation, healing from trauma, and support with attentional challenges or ADHD.

If terminology is helpful, the following have been especially influential for my theoretical/conceptual approach to therapy: relational psychoanalysis, object relations, attachment, internal family systems and somatic experiencing.

We can talk more about what kind of help you are looking for during a free phone or video consultation.