My Approach to Treatment

Many people enter therapy because they have trouble dealing with difficult emotions such as hopelessness, vulnerability, anxiety, guilt, shame, regret, resentment, and anger. They work hard to not feel these emotions because they are very uncomfortable. Avoidance of these emotions can look like constantly distracting oneself with things to do, addiction to phone or substances or sex; or having a distant relationship with their partner or loved ones.

Yet, these avoided emotions, and in fact all emotions, are very important to feel because they tell us vital information about ourselves. They tell us what is important to us. They show us what we are most afraid of in life. One of my main aims in therapy is to guide people to become more comfortable with experiencing these difficult emotions so that they can understand themselves better, handle their emotions more thoughtfully, and, in turn, feel that their behavior and life path is more aligned with their values.

Experiencing difficult emotions looks like connecting to your body, where we hold our emotions. I spend time guiding individuals in finding where their emotions live in their bodies, showing them how to make room for their emotions, to learn from them, and to stop fighting with them. This is a somatic approach to therapy, where we focus on the body to help us understand what we are feeling. Where we stop being afraid to connect to and be in our bodies.

This approach comes from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is the primary model of therapy that I use in my practice. It also focuses on helping individuals learn how to take a step back from their thoughts, so they don’t feel so controlled by them, how to live more in the present, and how to act mindfully and thoughtfully rather than feeling like they have no control over their actions.  

My approach to therapy is also heavily informed by internal family systems (“parts work”) and attachment theories. In addition, when individuals find it helpful, I like to incorporate the power of non-religious spirituality as a way to zoom out and reflect on life’s purpose and the meaning of suffering. Overall, I aim to provide my clients with a treatment approach that is tailored to their needs. Regardless of the approach I use, my priority is to create an environment of safety, understanding, non-judgment, and compassion. Without this, I do not believe that change can happen.