Psychotherapy
I offer Cognitive Behavioral based therapy grounded in Polyvagal theory. One of the most prevalent disruptions to our ability to feel connected to our loved ones and communities is our over-active “fight-or-flight” response as it is commonly known. We often associate this concept with people who have endured profoundly traumatic experiences, but what we know now is that WE ALL have programming that directs our protective responses. We are also all vulnerable to this programing becoming faulty.
What we talk less about is the nervous system state that is wired for connection - our Ventral Vagal nervous system. Therapy focused on fostering a sense of safety within ourselves and within our relationships can enhance this availability for connection and engage us in more effective forms of coping with stress.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is one of the most effective tools we have for helping people see lasting change in their life. Many people are in talk therapy for years and continue to feel they are stuck. Often times, highly impactful adverse events in our lives remain at the surface in a counterproductive attempt to keep us safe. EMDR is known for getting to the roots of a problem and for using our brain’s natural processing ability to reorganize unprocessed material. You can find more information at EMDRIA.org
Relationship Counseling
Our relationships are a cornerstone of happiness. We might know that healthy relationships require work, but sometimes it is hard to know what that work looks like. Learning to work smart, not hard in our relationships is the key to longevity and satisfaction. Part of the expectations I set for people coming in is to be prepared to focus on yourself. Building healthier patterns in your relationships means being more aware of what you bring to your interactions and how you are showing up for your loved one. One of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors is allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to and trusting of another. Including a partner or family member in your therapeutic journey can offer a powerful way to engage connection in our lives and offer ourselves valuable support in being the change we want to see in our world.
Addiction Counseling
Addiction does not just refer to substances. We are living in environments designed to leverage our dopamine circuits and pull our attention constantly. We doom scroll instead of playing with our children or post for likes instead of calling a friend. We have increasingly more accessible ways to prioritize escape from our stress over our relationships, and our communities have fewer and fewer opportunities to facilitate our connection. If you are finding that your priorities don’t match your values, addressing addictive behaviors may be right for you.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”