I am a mother, a wife, a therapist and an artist. I find meaning and joy in being able to help others experience more happiness, inner peace, and harmonious relationships in their lives. I have a friendly, down-to-earth style and have always been able to connect with clients from various backgrounds and cultures with ease. It is really important for me to connect with my clients early on in the therapy process. Clients often feel this connection when the therapist is able to truly empathize with the client’s inner world and withhold judgment. The person-centered or Rogerian approach, including empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence are the basis of forming a strong client-therapist relationship.
I work with clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, PTSD (single or complex trauma) as well as couples experiencing relationship issues. My approach in therapy is to create a safe environment for my clients to process painful events and memories and to express their current feelings and thoughts in order to gain a better understanding of themselves and their needs. From there we work on practical steps and solutions that can provide relief for clients’ distressing symptoms and collaborate on working towards long-term goals including improving relationships.
I consider myself to be a person-centered, existential therapist utilizing a combination of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral approaches in therapy. I am also a trauma-focused therapist and use EMDR for treating clients whose current issues stem from the ongoing activation and distress caused by past trauma. I also use emotionally focused therapy when working with couples with the aim of illuminating the underlying attachment needs and vulnerable emotions of partners and how their attempts to connect with one another can at times backfire and in fact create a negative cycle which drives the couple further apart.
As a therapist with an existential-humanistic lens, my life philosophy is that we are on this earth for a short period of time and that we have the freedom and choice to make our lives better and to find joy even in the face of the most difficult hardships. What I find often in my practice is that many people tend to go through the motions of daily life almost on auto pilot consumed by fear-based thoughts, unaware of their own needs and desires and missing out on the beauty and joy that life can offer. I help my clients to see that they are not confined to the circumstances they find themselves in and that by adopting a more mindful, flexible, and accepting frame of mind, they can experience less suffering and more joy. Through the process of therapy, I often see that clients become more empowered, confident, and joyful.
I have always loved the great artist, John Lennon, and struck by the simplicity and power of his famous lyrics “all you need is love”. Through and through in my work with clients from different walks of life, I have come to see that at our core, we are still vulnerable children who need love and understanding. If our caregivers were not in tune with our needs and did not or could not provide us the love and security we needed as children, we tend to struggle throughout our lives because we have not learned how to love ourselves. Hopefully through therapy we can begin the healing journey towards self-love and extend that love to those around us.
I work with clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, PTSD (single or complex trauma) as well as couples experiencing relationship issues. My approach in therapy is to create a safe environment for my clients to process painful events and memories and to express their current feelings and thoughts in order to gain a better understanding of themselves and their needs. From there we work on practical steps and solutions that can provide relief for clients’ distressing symptoms and collaborate on working towards long-term goals including improving relationships.
I consider myself to be a person-centered, existential therapist utilizing a combination of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral approaches in therapy. I am also a trauma-focused therapist and use EMDR for treating clients whose current issues stem from the ongoing activation and distress caused by past trauma. I also use emotionally focused therapy when working with couples with the aim of illuminating the underlying attachment needs and vulnerable emotions of partners and how their attempts to connect with one another can at times backfire and in fact create a negative cycle which drives the couple further apart.
As a therapist with an existential-humanistic lens, my life philosophy is that we are on this earth for a short period of time and that we have the freedom and choice to make our lives better and to find joy even in the face of the most difficult hardships. What I find often in my practice is that many people tend to go through the motions of daily life almost on auto pilot consumed by fear-based thoughts, unaware of their own needs and desires and missing out on the beauty and joy that life can offer. I help my clients to see that they are not confined to the circumstances they find themselves in and that by adopting a more mindful, flexible, and accepting frame of mind, they can experience less suffering and more joy. Through the process of therapy, I often see that clients become more empowered, confident, and joyful.
I have always loved the great artist, John Lennon, and struck by the simplicity and power of his famous lyrics “all you need is love”. Through and through in my work with clients from different walks of life, I have come to see that at our core, we are still vulnerable children who need love and understanding. If our caregivers were not in tune with our needs and did not or could not provide us the love and security we needed as children, we tend to struggle throughout our lives because we have not learned how to love ourselves. Hopefully through therapy we can begin the healing journey towards self-love and extend that love to those around us.