who I am and how I work
therapeutic approach
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Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis offers a second chance—a space to explore yourself with curiosity and compassion. It is a place where we can gently uncover the emotional experiences, patterns, and relationships that have shaped your life, allowing for greater self-understanding and new possibilities. Our work together is built on trust, collaboration, and a sense of safety. Here, we take the time to explore your thoughts, feelings, memories, and the deeper currents of your experience. Through this process, we can help ease suffering, expand your sense of choice, and support you in feeling more fully yourself.
Much of our work may involve understanding how the past continues to shape your present—how old patterns, once necessary for survival, may now feel limiting. By bringing these into awareness, we create space for new ways of relating, both to yourself and to others. Therapy can offer the possibility of a freer, more fulfilling future—one that feels more authentic, creative, and connected. Rather than rushing in, we move at a thoughtful and intentional pace, exploring your story with openness and care. The journey inward can be challenging, but it is also rich with meaning and growth. Therapy can help you cultivate a stronger sense of self, shift long-standing patterns, and create deeper and more satisfying relationships. Over time, it can bring relief from what may have felt too heavy to carry alone. At its heart, our work together is about understanding how your past has shaped your present so that you can move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and freedom. In my experience, individuals don't fall into simple categories. My therapeutic style is eclectic. A fuller understanding of numerous psychologies allows me to better understand who you are and how you would like to heal, grow, or explore the many unique parts of what make you you. My work is informed by the foundation of psychoanalytic thought.
Therapy typically begins with once weekly sessions. Though, depending on the nature of your needs, or the desire to begin psychoanalysis, multiple sessions per week may be recommended. Effective therapy is based on regular, established sessions. Much is lost in bi-weekly or once monthly appointments. I recognize that this style of weekly therapy comes with what might be felt as a burdensome financial commitment. That being said, the power of our time together, our relationship, may alter the way you engage the world and relationships around you. The therapeutic process forms a uniquely crafted mosaic where you and I explore the intricate and diverse pieces of human relationship, where vivid meaning can arise often out of the most unexpected - sometimes broken- places, creating a coherent whole. |
training: |
I have over 14 years invested in various counseling settings and roles. I studied at the University of Washington, School of Social Work in Mental Health and received my graduate degree in Mental Health. My clinical training included psychodynamic and psychoanalytic theories and practice. Prior to private practice, I worked with at-risk populations in community mental health and social service programs. I've also worked with a number of outdoor young adult wilderness programs. I view my personal and professional training as a requisite for my profession. I'm always learning, questioning, and wondering about the world around me. I remain curious. I'm regularly nudging myself toward deeper insight and growth to better inform my work with you. I am currently a psychoanalyst candidate at SPSI.
LICSW LICENSE # LW60876564 |