Therapy is political.
Our political and social climate has a direct impact on all of us. One of the most important parts of therapy, and one of the biggest contributors to its success for the client, is the quality of the relationship between therapist and client (called the therapeutic alliance). In order for our therapy to be most helpful for you, it’s extremely important that we build a transparent, trusting, and safe therapeutic alliance. For that reason, I believe it is important to share some of my beliefs and values, including that I am queer and trans-allied, BIPOC allied, and generally hold progressive political views. I also identify as nonreligious and operate from a secular place when it comes to therapy + mental health.
My identities: I am a white, straight, cisgender woman. I am able-bodied and neurodivergent. I am married and the parent of one toddler. I belong to many privileged groups, and it is my responsibility to acknowledge that and keep that in mind in the therapeutic work that I do. As a licensed clinical social worker, I have received extensive education and training around social justice issues, and participate in continuing education (both formally and in my own research) around issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, and general cultural competence/humility.
I believe strongly in learning from my clients, and my clients being the experts of their own experiences. No group is a monolith, and I don’t like to assume the experiences of any client just because they belong to a specific group. I thoughtfully ask questions of my clients if there is something that I don’t have full understanding of. And while I do not provide therapy through any religious lens or framework myself, I welcome clients to share their religious and spiritual beliefs in sessions so that we can incorporate them into your therapy in a way that works for you!
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My therapeutic approach:
Therapy is a highly personal experience, and I believe in tailoring my therapeutic approach to each individual client. Here are some theories and modalities I may pull from in our work together:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy—How we talk to ourselves matters. We may examine your thoughts, work on building awareness around unhelpful self-talk, and develop some more helpful framing around thoughts that are particularly sticky. In many cases, our work will also incorporate behavioral changes through routines and self-care practices.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—ACT is a branch of CBT that helps us learn to stop fighting against our unhelpful thoughts and feelings (which often leads to more suffering), and instead learn to quiet their noise, through practices like defusion, mindfulness, and committed action, so that we can live a meaningful life aligned with our personal values.
Compassion-Focused Therapy— Shame and guilt can be especially difficult emotions to work through. However, refusing to show ourselves the same care and compassion we give to others can often be what keeps us stuck in those difficult emotions or negative or toxic situations. I consider self-compassion to be one of the most important skills for clients to develop in order to cultivate a healthier relationship with themselves, and use this approach in some form with all therapy clients.
Systems Theory/Feminist Lens—I firmly believe that our mental health is deeply informed by the larger systems we are a part of (family, work, social, etc.) and though deep, often unconscious socialization of norms, roles, and expectations for what it means to be a human in America. Sometimes, breaking down these assumptions around race, sexuality, gender, work, etc. and their impact on us can be a springboard for deeper work and healing.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—ERP is a highly structured form of therapy commonly used for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, phobias, and panic disorder. In ERP, we work together to gradually expose you to feared situations (both real and imagined) while refraining from engaging in compulsions or other safety behaviors. ERP is hard but effective work that helps you learn to tolerate anxiety, stop engaging in compulsions, and ultimately, find some freedom from OCD.