Making the decision to seek support can be a difficult task and shows courage. Opening up and sharing your private thoughts, emotions, fears, and experiences with a therapist can be frightening. However within a trusting, confidential, and healthy therapeutic relationship it can also be rewarding and a great benefit. I make it a point to never take for granted the gift client’s give in revealing their personal history in the context of therapy. I endeavor to assist you in gaining insight, use new approaches to aid in making positive adjustments in your interpersonal, family, social, and work life.
Psychotherapy is the most frequently used form of treatment for addressing a wide variety of mental health concerns and stressors. It is typically done in the privacy of an office setting or using teletherapy one-to-one, with “talk therapy” as the primary means of engaging. It may involve homework and other activities in-between therapy appointments. For the best outcomes you and I will work together to determine the most appropriate frequency and best level of treatment to meet your goals.
Brainspotting, developed by David Grand, Ph.D. is a Neuroexperiental therapy for healing and expansion. Brainspotting utilizes the brain, brainstem, and nervous systems’ natural ability to heal from trauma, process painful emotions, and to increase into desired states of being (expansion). The statement, “Where you look affects how you feel,” refers to how this processing takes place using the visual field, while connecting to body-based activations or resources, focused-mindful processing, and dual attunement. The visual field, through the retina is made of neurons and travels deep into the subcortex of the brain where memory of trauma and difficult experiences reflected in psychological and physical symptoms are stored. Brainspotting allows for change to take place in fewer sessions and more concisely versus talk therapy alone. For this reason, Brainspotting is a powerful intervention recommended to all clients.
Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) incorporates meditation, body awareness, and mindful movement with the focus on building a practice and awareness of how the body handles, as well as resolves stress neurologically. Research suggests that mindfulness practice is beneficial in improving depression, anxiety, greater emotional regulation, physical health, and overall well-being. These factors are why MBSR is a key component of my theoretical approach in supporting clients to improve the ability to cope with stress, improve management of difficult emotions, and everyday life challenges with self-compassion. You will be encouraged and supported in starting from where you are to build a mindfulness practice.
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that incorporates the use of art media (paint, markers, drawing, collage) as a vehicle for expression, “…the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.” (American Art Therapy Association Website). Art therapy is offered as individual therapy in conjunction with talk therapy or can be the primary mode of treatment.
Having many years in presenting and conducting training, I welcome the opportunity to provide consultations, workshops, and trainings on various topics. Subjects covered in the past have included identifying eating disorders, stress management, cultural diversity, and safeguarding for the helper/public servant. A new topic being offered is Bridging the Generational Gap in the workplace. This is a hot topic, given the significant differences among the three primary generations in the workforce (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials). These gaps often or at least “sometimes” can create challenges in the work environment. Having a training to increase workers understanding of these differences and how they can work cohesively to meet common goals of the company can be a great benefit. Topics can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your organization, staff, students, or group members.