My Therapeutic Approach
Attachment is our blueprint for how we exist and function within any form of relationship. How we see others, how we see the world, and how we see ourselves. Attachment is linked to anxiety, which exists in all living things to keep us alive and motivated. Anxiety and attachment create associations through our experiences to learn how to survive and avoid threats to our physical and emotional safety.
Trauma is any experience that negatively changes your view of yourself, others, and/or the world. With this definition in mind, trauma is very specific to the individual and it has nothing to do with being “weak” or “strong”. It’s our nervous system trying to figure out how to stay safe in the world, but it isn’t perfect. Sometimes the strategies employed by our nervous system aren’t the best solutions for every situation.
Our experiences and relationships heavily impact how we view the world, others, and ourselves. How we experience the world is unique to the individual. With my integrated approach, I partner with my clients in their healing of any wounds from their past experiences, manage their distress, and learn how to feel comfortable inside and outside of their shell. The world doesn't have to be lonely or constantly stressful.
You can learn more about the modalities that inform my approach below
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an integrative psychotherapy approach. It combines elements from various therapeutic modalities, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and somatic therapies, but its core mechanism is the use of bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements, tapping) to facilitate the processing of traumatic or distressing experiences
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy is an experiential and emotion-focused therapy. It emphasizes the importance of experiencing and processing emotions in a supportive therapeutic relationship. AEDP aims to facilitate the healing of attachment wounds and promote emotional transformation by fostering a safe, empathetic connection between the therapist and the patient, allowing the patient to explore and integrate emotional experiences.
Internal Family Systems is an integrative and experiential therapy. It views the mind as naturally subdivided into different "parts," each with its own perspective and qualities. IFS aims to help individuals understand and harmonize these internal parts, fostering self-awareness and self-compassion. This approach is used to address a wide range of psychological issues, including trauma, by facilitating internal communication and healing.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is the third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapies. It focuses on helping individuals accept their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them. ACT encourages living in alignment with personal values and committing to actions that enrich life, emphasizing psychological flexibility through mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and behavioral change techniques.
Ecotherapy, also known as nature therapy or green therapy, refers to a range of therapeutic practices that involve nature as a key element in improving mental and physical well-being. The core idea is that spending time in natural environments can have positive effects on mental health, such as reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, while enhancing mood, self-esteem, and cognitive function. Research has shown that exposure to nature can lower cortisol levels (a stress hormone), improve attention and focus, and foster a sense of peace and relaxation. Ecotherapy is often used as a complementary approach alongside traditional mental health treatments and is accessible to a wide range of people due to its simplicity and versatility.
Emotionally Focused Therapy is a humanistic therapy that is also grounded in attachment theory. It integrates experiential and systemic approaches that focus on the emotional experiences of individuals and their relationships, aiming to create secure attachment bonds by addressing and transforming negative interaction patterns. EFT is commonly used in couples therapy but can also be adapted for individuals and families.
Human-Animal Interactions, a subset of EcoTherapy, refer to the dynamic and reciprocal relationships between humans and animals. These interactions can occur in various contexts, including therapeutic, recreational, and everyday settings, and can involve a wide range of activities such as pet ownership, animal-assisted therapy, and animal-assisted activities. The interactions are shown to have psychological, emotional, and physiological benefits for humans, such as reducing stress, improving mood, and enhancing social interactions. In therapeutic contexts, HAIs are intentionally structured to achieve specific health outcomes, under the guidance of the therapist.