My approach to therapy is curious, relational, and a little bit of connecting-the-dots. We’ll often explore parts of your life that may not seem connected to what brought you in: your family of origin, relationships, experiences, roles, and the patterns you’ve picked up along the way…because sometimes the pieces that seem unrelated are the ones that help everything else make more sense. From there, we’ll dive into what’s happening now, using traditional talk therapy alongside experiential exercises that can help you connect the dots in a different way (and if you’re someone who loves homework, I’m happy to send you home with some). Much like parhelia appear when light interacts with different conditions in the atmosphere, I believe our experiences make more sense when we look at the larger systems surrounding them; sometimes, a shift in perspective is what allows something that’s been there all along to finally come into view.

The conditions around us matter.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I’m trained to think systemically, which is a fancy way of saying I’m interested in the bigger picture. Even when I’m sitting across from one person, I’m paying attention to the relationships, family dynamics, roles, expectations, environments, and experiences that have helped shape who they are today.

My work is primarily informed by systemic, attachment-based, experiential, and humanistic approaches. In practice, that means we won’t only ask, “How do we fix this?” We’ll also get curious about where a pattern came from, what keeps it going, what purpose it may have served, and what might happen if we tried something different.

Sometimes we’ll talk. Sometimes we’ll do.

There will absolutely be sessions where we sit and talk things through. There may also be times when talking about something only gets us so far.

That’s where experiential work can come in. We might map out a relationship or family timeline, explore values, practice a conversation differently, notice what’s happening between us in the room, or use an exercise that helps you see something from another angle. And if you’re someone who likes leaving therapy with something concrete to work on, I’m always happy to offer ideas for between sessions. Homework is available, not mandatory.

About that “little challenge…”

I want therapy to be a place where you feel brave enough to show up honestly and know you won’t be judged for what you bring into the room. I also believe that feeling supported and feeling challenged can exist at the same time.

I won’t pretend to know your life better than you do, and my job isn’t to tell you what choices to make. But I will get curious with you. I may point out a pattern you haven’t noticed, ask the question that makes you sit back for a second, or gently challenge something that doesn’t quite add up. Sometimes growth comes from feeling understood. Sometimes it comes from looking again.