My Approach to Therapy

I work with children, teens, and adults who are struggling through current life stressors or who have had distressing experiences, maybe even traumatic experiences. I am very passionate about sharing my knowledge of our nervous system – and how it protects us through our body’s responses. I believe in transparency in therapy and always provide some background knowledge on how our body works to protect us through the symptoms we are experiencing that leads us to seek therapy. Several of our beginning sessions are focused on 1. building a connection through learning more about each other (always at a pace that feels safe and comfortable for you), 2. providing some education around terms that will come up in our session related to your nervous system and 3. developing a treatment plan together that is tailored towards the goals you want to reach in therapy. 

When I meet with children, I often begin by incorporating child-centered play therapy (CCPT). CCPT is a therapeutic approach that uses play as a means of communication and healing for children, particularly those ages 3-10. Through CCPT, my focus with children is supporting them in using the toys in our playroom to process and communicate any challenges they are experiencing. Working with parents is an important focus for me when supporting children, so I can communicate to parents themes I see in sessions and recommendations to support goals that we have in place. I am trained in several other play therapy modalities and will tailor treatment based on each child’s goals and through conversations with parents.

My work with preteens and teens often includes several expressive techniques that I incorporate in therapy to support with processing experiences and supporting my clients in developing greater awareness of their emotions and coping skills. This may include art, sandtray, games, and bibliotherapy. These expressive techniqus support my treatment approaches, which often include EMDR, CBT, Somatic Experiening, and Parts Work. Treatment planning occurs with my client and parents’ input to ensure we have goals in place that are comprehensive. 

When I work with adults, we begin with revisiting your reasons for seeking therapy and goals for our work together. This is intertwined with techniques for getting to know each other and ensuring that we are going at a pace that feels comfortable for you. As we progress past this initial phase, we’ll begin to explore your history and ensure you are aware of the “why” behind some of the techniques incorporated in sessions. Some of the approaches I incorporate include EMDR, CBT, Somatic Experiencing, and Parts Work.