Women come to therapy with a unique set of developmental and emotional issues. The women I work with are navigating life on multiple fronts from intimate relationships, their often-circuitous journey with work, parenting, and varied other responsibilities, all the while trying to maintain a connection with self. Women come to look at their family of origin issues, the way they show up in relationships, and to process their injuries from large and small traumas which are woven throughout their lives. Many women feel “not enough” in their bodies and struggle to feel as though they are loveable just as they are without people-pleasing and managing the lives of others. Universally they are looking to activate to higher levels of functioning in all areas of their lives and to be the fullest expression of themselves without being burdened with anxiety, guilt, and confusion.
Very often men come to therapy through couple’s work, when something in their intimate or family relationships have gone sideways. It can be quite powerful when men decide to do their own individual work as it is often the first-time space is made for their interior world. Men have unique issues around their work lives, as work is so dominate for many men. It is common for men to struggle to know exactly what they are feeling, let alone know how to express those feelings to others. Some men report feeling not much of anything punctuated by waves of anger. They are burdened by many of their own traumas that they have avoided looking at due to the lack of time or cultural permission afforded to men’s pain. In therapy men get the opportunity to connect to their hurt sadness and shame helping them reclaim their natural range of feelings. They get to make sense of and redefine what masculinity means within the context of their lives. They feel empowered to end cycles of generational trauma and lead themselves, their work lives, and their families in more emotionally flexible ways.
Young adults are a group that come to therapy in a developmentally tumultuous time when they are overwhelmed by social, educational, occupational, and family pressures. They come to therapy trying to make sense of their identity and worth in the world, reconciling the messages they learned in their families and schools with who they hope to be. Therapy affords younger people a place to be held and validated for their unique set of feelings and experiences. Young adults are at an important inflection point where they need equal parts confidence and courage. Supporting young adults looks like helping them experiment with what is possible while nurturing their connection and belief in themselves. Work during this time of life helps young adults make sense of their emotions, trust their instincts, and feel empowered to play with possibilities.
Although I am primarily a therapist for individuals, I will do family sessions at the request of my individual clients. I am not a couple’s therapist; however, often my individual client’s will want to bring in a partner, a parent, a sibling etc... to better facilitate their individual work. I will do family sessions per the request of an already active individual client with the understanding that I will not become the long-term therapist for other members of the family or the couple. These types of sessions can be helpful for moving through an impasse within a family system, helping an individual client make a much-needed request or repair, or aid in planning to support other family members. Family sessions are initiated at the request of the individual client to fundamentally support the work they are engaged in, and not as a way to manage the work of extended family members.
Anxiety Disorders (OCD, PTSD, Social Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety) Perfectionism, Attachment Issues, Depression, Disordered Eating, Body Image Issues, Attention Issues, Addiction Issues, Relationship Issues, Family Issues, Parenting Issues, Trauma, Complex PTSD, Grief & Loss, and Divorce Recovery