My Approach.

Here’s what therapy together might look like. I often describe my counseling style as person centered, somatic, and queer positive. Here’s what I mean by that: 

A person centered approach holds the belief that we are all perfect, AND we will all have room to grow. That’s what it is to be human. At your core, your innermost self, you are wise, kind, and whole. With time and attention the challenging parts and patterns in our psyche can unwind and even become some of your greatest teachers, as you lean in and trust your inherent goodness. 

To support this process, somatic therapy engages the whole whole person by including your body. You’ll become an expert of your own nervous system. And through getting in touch with underlying feelings and sensations - allowing them to move, to breath, to make sound - we can meet ourselves where we are stuck and allow our old patterns to unwind, allowing us to create a different experience.  

Don’t get me wrong, we will still talk. If you want we’ll break down each and every aspect of a situation, all the characters involved, identifying any unhelpful beliefs and thought patterns. I'm ready for that. I can listen forever and I love the details. But ultimately, I've found the real change maker comes from within. It will be you, getting in touch with what’s happening in your body, allowing it to unfold, that will be the real engine for meaningful growth. My role is to support you in this process. 

Lastly, a queer positive approach, to me, acknowledges that medical and mental health institutions have a history of pathologizing and ‘othering’ queer (and many other) identities which still impact how care is provided today. Despite this history, queer communities continue to grow and thrive through knowing and defining themselves beyond the limited scripts assigned by society. Knowing that our mental health is impacted by our cultural health is an important step in defining what health means for us during these divisive times. The gift of knowing who you are, in spite of a culture telling you who you should be, is a gift worth celebrating. All gender and sexual identities welcome.