Counseling
I work with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families on issues around anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, loss, interpersonal relationships, significant life transitions, expat adjustment, chronic illness, disordered eating, body images and gay/lesbian/bi/transgender adjustment.
Coaching
I work with individuals and professionals on career transitions, professional development, professional interpersonal relationships and expatriate adjustment.
Practicalities
I conduct sessions through telehealth technology including video, texting and email. I work with encrypted technologies that are HIPAA compliant to ensure client confidentiality.
Sessions
Individual sessions last 50 minutes. Couple and Family sessions last for 1 hour 15 minutes. Group sessions last for 1 hour 30 minutes. This is intentional and focused work. As such, session times are closely followed to honor the space and time. It is important to start on time and allow yourself a few moments after the session to ground and recalibrate to the rest of your day.
The first session lasts 1 hour 15 minutes. During this session, we discuss the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship, policies, client confidentiality and the presenting challenges and opportunities. I will also take a complete history to help me understand you and your needs and goals during our work. If we feel comfortable working together, I then recommend 4 to 6 more sessions before evaluating if you feel good about our relationship and your progress.
Therapeutic Approach
I strive to create a safe, confidential and non-judgmental relationship with you so you can share the difficult and problematic areas of your life. Through empathy and collaborative communication, I learn of your experience, as well as your goals, hopes and aspirations. I employ a wellness-based approach that builds on your strengths and does not judge or pathologize your choices, symptoms or situation.
I use a psychodynamic approach to understand how past experiences, especially during your formative years, created your internal narrative and patterns that undermine and inhibit your well-being, aspirations and relationships. We then understand and change these internal patterns and belief systems so you can heal and grow. It is collaborative and challenging work that seeks to help you connect on a deeper level with yourself, your loved ones and your work.
I also use the Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach created by Dr. Richard Schwartz. The IFS model is a non-pathologizing approach recognizing that each person has a core Self that is good and when accessed, can guide us compassionately and effectively within ourselves, in relationships and in work. In addition, we are made up of parts that manage our day-to-day life. When these parts become stressed, they can become dysfunctional leaving us feeling overwhelmed, confused and hopeless. Through compassion, curiosity and courage, we can turn inward to understand our parts and why we make the choices we do. We then learn new strategies and use our core Self to heal and grow. (Please see the following for more information: https://selfleadership.org/about-internal-family-systems.html)