I believe that our past experiences often dictate how we respond to situations and other people in our lives and unless we examine those experiences, true healing won’t be possible or long-lasting. My work is centered around going to the root cause of an issue and not just administering a band-aid. I meet my clients where they are, providing support, compassion, a little humor, and a little nudge when they need it.
Some folks may not identify the challenges they’ve experienced as trauma. They may feel that the word “trauma” sounds too dramatic or others have had it much worse than them. Remember that trauma isn’t what happened to you; it’s how you experienced what happened and how you responded to it. Something that may not be traumatic for one person may be life changing for another.
Because we experience life’s challenges differently, each client may need something different. Some clients will be ready to tackle the more difficult challenges in their lives with EMDR or IFS (parts work). Some may have a nervous system that needs some attention first, as they work to regulate their anxiety and/or depression. Sometimes, grief needs to come out and be supported. Some clients need a different way of seeing things or a way to connect the dots. Some folks may be experiencing trouble in the relationships in their lives because of past challenges. Some may need help connecting to their emotions in a safe way or help understanding their mind/body connection or why their brain is giving them such negative messages all of the time.
Trauma and Complex PTSD
When we experience trauma of any kind, parts of us step in to protect us. In the moment, we need those parts and they may even be crucial to our survival. Once we’re through the trauma, those protective parts might start getting in the way. They might feel like anxiety, self-criticism, depression, or the need to be perfect, and they might interfere with our ability to form connections with others. We need those connections with others. Therapy can help us honor those former survival strategies and help us get unstuck so that we can move forward and build the life that feels right for us – a life that is driven by us, not our past experiences.
Family Challenges
Families can be complex. We’re taught that families should be a source of unconditional support, but what if they aren’t? It can be hard to give up hope that they’ll ever be who you need them to be. You might feel like you’ve exhausted all options and don’t know where to go from here with members of your family. You might feel guilt around the way things have worked out with your family. Therapy can help you decide what to do with the feelings you feel and find ways to move forward that are right for you.
Grief/Loss
Losses can come in all different forms. Often when we experience a loss, we feel like we’re losing a piece of ourselves and a piece of our history. We feel like the pain might last forever. Therapy can support you in a time of great pain and discomfort and can help you adjust to what life looks like now.
Anxiety/Depression
Anxiety and depression are often different sides of the same coin. Our brains work hard to keep us safe and feeling like we belong, but sometimes those strategies cause more harm than good and keep us from living the life we want. Anxiety and depression can feel exhausting as we constantly try to get rid of or ignore thoughts and feelings that aren’t helping, but we find that we can’t get rid of them. Therapy can provide a safe space to explore those thoughts and feelings that we can’t avoid, so that we can truly let go of them and move forward in the life we want to be living.
Relationship Concerns
Connection matters, even for folks who lean more toward the introvert side of things, and we often get that need met through friendships and romantic relationships. Sometimes, our feelings of connection and belonging are so important that we have a hard time advocating for our own needs in those relationships, or even figuring out what those needs are. Sometimes reaching out to others feels scary and daunting and we find ourselves feeling lonely, even if we are in a romantic relationship. Therapy can help us explore what feels right to us and can help us move forward to have the kind of relationships that feel good for us.
Life Changes and Transitions
Life is full of transitions. Change can be hard, even when it’s a good change. You may need some additional coping skills during a transition. You may need help in finding sources of stability during change. Therapy can help you explore what the change means for you and ways to incorporate it into your life.
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars. . .”
- Jack Kerouac
