Client-centered therapy in a safe and supportive environment
Areas of specialty
I specialize in working with individuals through changes and transitions that are all part of the human experience. Life transitions can include relationship evolution and/or changes, job changes or retirement, relocation, among other events.
Life transitions
I believe that there is a tremendous need for help for the helpers and find that caregivers are often underserved in the therapy space. I have experience working with caregivers who are caring for a spouse or parent/relative facing cognitive decline and/or decline in function.
Caregiving
There are many different types of grief, particularly when it comes to different transitions and life events that we experience. While many people assume that we only experience grief after a death, I’ve found that grief can come in other forms, including ambiguous grief, which occurs when a person is still with us, however has changed in some way due to an accident or illness.
Grief & loss
I spent 5 years working in a hospital-based setting and have a unique understanding and appreciation for the challenges involved in being a patient. The medical system can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate and you may be struggling to advocate for yourself with your medical team. I believe it is important to have a space to process these frustrations and explore how your physical health may be impacting your mental/emotional health.
Chronic health
People are living longer and longer and while longevity can be full of joy, it can also be isolating and scary at times. As a society, we tend to plan for many life events (education, marriage, career, families), however in my work with older adults, I’ve found that many folks enter retirement and struggle with finding meaning and purpose in their lives. Therapy can be a helpful tool to gain insight and understanding during this period.
Aging
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
— LORI GOTTLIEB
Therapeutic approaches
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Dr. Kristen Neff, the founder of Self-Compassion, summarizes this approach as speaking to and offering compassion to oneself, as they would to a friend experiencing a similar moment of suffering. When we bring self-compassion into the therapy space, we create the opportunity to explore the following: Self-kindness vs. Self-judgment, Common humanity vs. Isolation, and Mindfulness vs. Over-identification. For more information, you can visit: self-compassion.org
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ACT embraces the idea that rather than working to change certain thoughts and feelings, we can work to accept them and gain understanding that these are often understandable responses to difficult circumstances. There are 6 core processes of ACT, which are: acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self as context, values, and committed action.
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CBT involves identifying thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and gaining deeper understanding and awareness as to how negative patterns can form in our lives. As we identify such patterns, we work to break these cycles and develop healthy coping strategies.
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EFT was founded by couples therapist Dr. Sue Johnson and while it is often utilized in couples work, it is valuable in individual therapy as well, particularly for individuals struggling in relationships. EFT utilizes principles of attachment to gain deeper self-awareness of one’s own emotions in challenging situations and teaches strategies for emotional regulation to communicate more effectively. For more information, you can visit: iceeft.com
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Humanistic therapy focuses on the individual person and utilizes a strengths-based perspective to build on positive qualities and attributes. This helps clients to reach their own identified potential and find greater purpose in their lives.
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