So, what might make me a helpful person to hear your story?  First, I love building relationships.  I’ve worked with teens and young adults in so many places over the last 16 years:  backpacking trips, schools, therapy offices, beaches, camps.  Specifically, I’ve worked mostly with adolescents, young adults, and young-at-heart who were also:  immigrants, refugees, dreamers, queer, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, LGBTQ+.  We can talk about who you’re becoming, relationships, dreams, and the hard stuff that keeps you up at night.  I’m here because I genuinely like what I do and I’m excited to meet you. 

‍ ‍Second, I take the time to get to know more about your world and our world.  I’m a queer person with a disability, and I’ve had to learn the power of believing in my own value, even when other people and systems don’t see it.  Maybe you’ve had a similar experience.  It helps to learn about how the world around us affects us so we can work to let go of things that aren’t our fault and change what we can.

‍ ‍Third, I never stop training to be a more helpful therapist. My license requires me to have ongoing trainings, but I also am involved in a consultation group and seek out feedback and support from other therapists if I get stuck. One of my favorite trainings is called Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and I’m advanced trained in it. It has some similarities to EMDR, but does not involve talking about trauma in great detail, unless of course that feels helpful! It often provides great relief. Learn more about A.R.T. here.

‍ ‍Fourth, I’ve got range.‍ ‍I work deep and wide, philosophical and pragmatic.  This means that if you come to session pissed off at your boss, we might do any of the following:  explore the childhood roots of power dynamics, retell the story of what the interaction means to you or about you, look at how bigger systems of power are connected to this moment and where you have agency, reprocess body sensations to create relief, or see if you’re literally eating enough to avoid hanger.

‍ ‍Finally, I work relationally. I show up as a real human in sessions.  I bring humor and playfulness as often as is wise.  Clients report that I can uniquely be incredibly gentle and encouraging and I am also not afraid to point out unhelpful behaviors with respect and kindness.  I welcome your humor, your sass, your disagreement and practicing new ways of relating with others.  You may have no clue how to name feelings or how they show up in your body and you may roll your eyes when I ask you.  This is no problem. I genuinely love getting feedback and negotiating how we co-create a secure space to grow beautiful things.