Mind
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
When we have endured difficult and challenging experiences, it is natural for our minds to filter and translate these experiences into protective strategies that we believe are providing us safety. However, traumatic experiences often rewire our brains in ways that keep us trapped in reactivity, concerned about the past or worried about the future, and focused on surviving. This prevents us from being present in the here and now and thriving.
From time to time we must pause and ask ourselves: Are my thoughts and beliefs serving me, in this moment?
Therapy is a place where you can begin to honor and release cognitions that may have once protected you, but are no longer helpful in connecting you with the life that is calling to you. I approach psychotherapy with warmth and compassion, utilizing mindfulness techniques and tools from Solution-Focused Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy to help you distance yourself from unhelpful thoughts, negative self-talk and self-judgment, while making space for you to tend to your authentic needs and emotions.
Body
“Go inside and listen to your body, because your body will never lie to you. Your mind will play tricks, but the way you feel in your heart, in your guts, is the truth.” - Miguel Ruiz
Our physical bodies are the first place where we experience life before our logical mind can then attempt to process and make meaning of it. Traumatic experiences – especially those experienced in our childhood, before we have the cognitive ability to make sense of the incident – are often stored in our bodies and stuck there. This information can eventually manifest as unhelpful behaviors and cognitions well into our adulthood, especially if we have repressed these feelings or developed outward-seeking coping strategies that leave our wounds unexpressed and untended to.
I utilize techniques from Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, as well as guided mindfulness and grounding strategies to help you move beyond the overthinking mind, learn to regulate your nervous system, and develop a richer relationship with your body.
Soul
“When mind, body, and soul are in harmony, happiness is the natural result.”
- Deepak Chopra
I believe that each of us is a spiritual being, and at times difficult human experiences disconnect us from our inherent wisdom and childlike wonder. As we clear the blockages we accumulate in our lives, we grow in alignment with our souls’ yearning to create a life that is meant for us.
My therapy practice strives to be a safe space in which you are invited to cultivate your sense of faith in yourself and in life, regardless of your religious background or spiritual beliefs. I utilize guided meditation and breathing techniques, as well as philosophies gleaned from various traditions to guide you on the journey home to yourself.