Areas of Focus

In my psychotherapy practice, I have extensive experience bringing warmth and compassion to my work with clients who experience anxiety.  I understand how debilitating it is to have trouble controlling your worrying, where even the little problems feel too big and your best is never good enough. I will work with you to help with the constant worrying and focusing on problems that keep you from enjoying your social life or even just being yourself without always feeling judged. You may feel trapped or stuck, with physical symptoms like sweating or rapid heartbeat. Know that you are not alone. I welcome you to contact me so we may begin our sessions together and invite calmness, confidence, and courage back into your life.

While occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time, interfering with daily activities such as job performance and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobia-related disorders. Researchers are finding that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Some general risk factors include shyness, exposure to stressful events, and family history of anxiety. Anxiety can also result from physical conditions.

Psychotherapy provides an effective treatment for anxiety disorders. The many compassion based psychotherapy models that I work from, such as the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model, offer an effective way to help you love and comfort your anxious “parts” and unload the fear that they carry.

Learn more about anxiety at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders.

In my psychotherapy practice, I have extensive experience in bringing gentleness and compassion to my work with clients with depression. I understand how painful it is to feel hopeless, seeing yourself stuck in a situation with no way out. Not only feeling low, but no longer enjoying what you once enjoyed, no longer having energy or motivation. Know that we can work together to compassionately understand what underlies those feelings and to help you climb out of that deep abyss. I invite you to contact me so we may begin working together to help you feel courage and confidence, and allow you to find joy and happiness.

Depression is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating or working. Symptoms of depression include a persistent sad mood, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, feelings of guilt or irritability, or loss of interest in activities. Research suggests that genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors play a role in depression. Depression can also co-occur with medical illnesses.

Depression, even the most severe cases, can be treated with psychotherapy. Psychotherapy can help people with depression by teaching new ways of thinking and behaving and how to change habits that contribute to depression. The many compassion based psychotherapy models that I work from, such as the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model, offer an effective way to help you understand how your depressed “parts” came to be that way and to help you heal.

Learn more about depression at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression.

In my psychotherapy practice, I have extensive experience in bringing care and compassion to my work with clients who have suffered trauma. I understand how after a traumatic experience it is common to feel anxiety, fear, sadness, stress from disturbing dreams, or an overall numbness. With time, these feelings dissipate for most people. However, sometimes the effects of trauma can last for months or years, interfering with relationships or with daily life.  I invite you to contact me so we may begin working together for you to gain insight into the traumatic events that you have experienced, with clarity, confidence, and self-acceptance.

Responses to trauma can be immediate or delayed, brief or prolonged. When they don’t get better with time or when they interfere with daily life, it is important to seek professional help. In addition to symptoms such as fear, sadness, or frightening thoughts and dreams, there can also be physical symptoms such as headaches, tiredness, and digestive issues. Some people who have experienced traumatic events may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where they continue to feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger.

One of the keys to recovery from trauma is having a strong support system, such as a mental health provider who is experienced in this area. Psychotherapy can help those who have experienced traumatic events by allowing them to fully understand the events and their feelings about the events, and to focus on changing how they react to their symptoms. The many compassion based psychotherapy models that I work from, such as the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model, offer an effective way to heal from traumatic events and the resulting long-lasting painful symptoms.

Learn more about trauma at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/coping-with-traumatic-events and at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd.

In my psychotherapy practice, I have extensive experience in bringing compassion and warmth to my work with clients facing many life transitions. I understand how the changes throughout life represent major shifts in roles and responsibilities that come with adapting to new and unfamiliar circumstances.  These life changes bring complex and mixed feelings that are difficult to process. While many life transitions are painful and stressful, we may even experience stress during positive and exciting life transitions. At times of major change we also often stop to re-evaluate our lives, re-considering our goals and priorities. Know that it can help to seek guidance on how to evaluate and respond to your feelings. I invite you to contact me so we may begin to work together. I will help you to gain self awareness and to face these life transitions with courage and confidence.

Transitions in life can involve distressing situations, such as the loss of a loved one, a diagnosis of a serious illness or disability, or a global pandemic. Transitions can also be exciting, such as a family addition, a job change, or an important milestone such as retirement or a significant birthday. All of these changes can be challenging because they require us to adjust to a life that is significantly different from what we were previously accustomed to. When the resulting stress extends for a long period of time, this can have negative physical and emotional effects that make the transitions even harder. Of course, unanticipated transitions also bring the stress of having been unprepared for the resulting changes. When a life transition involves a loss, whether loss of a person or a role in life, most people develop fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.

One of the best ways to cope with life changes is to work with a mental health provider. Psychotherapy can help those facing life transitions by allowing them to fully understand the effects that the changes have on their lives and to determine the best course ahead. The many compassion based psychotherapy models that I work from, such as the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model, offer an effective way to learn about our strengths and to explore what we truly want life to be going forward. This self-reflection can lead to a sense of renewal and stability.

In my psychotherapy practice, I have extensive experience in bringing gentle compassion and care to my work with couples at all stages of their relationships. I understand how interpersonal relationships – how we relate to one another – are essential components of our lives. Each day we engage with others in a variety of relationships, whether intimate or friendly, personal or professional. It is well recognized that having meaningful relationships leads to happiness and health throughout life. Struggles with relating to others can often lead us to feel stressed, anxious, or depressed. All of our relationships evolve, sometimes in ways that we find difficult to manage. I invite you to contact me so we may begin to work together and you can learn how to have deeper connections in your relationships.

Our intimate adult relationships, from dating through long-married, have the potential to be the most fulfilling as well as the most challenging relationships in our lives. Sometimes our childhood relationships and previous romantic relationships affect how secure we feel in our present intimate relationships, and particular challenges can arise when a partner is from a different background. We and our partners sometimes disagree about how to split daily chores, child raising, deep communication, or sexual expectations. We sometimes face frequent conflict, lack of intimacy, or breakdown in communication. Importantly, when disagreements aren’t addressed they can have lingering affects on the relationship as well as each individual’s own self-worth.

In couples therapy, we will address the difficulties in your relationship and help to resolve them. We will help you to find healthier and more productive connection and communication patterns, which will lead you to a stronger and more fulfilling relationship. The many compassion based psychotherapy models that I work from, such as the Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO) model that is based on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, offer to help partners both differentiate and stay connected by accessing their inner strength. IFIO helps partners to engage in courageous communication, with respectful disagreement as well as heartfelt apology and loving forgiveness, leading to deepened connection.