Therapy Services

Individual Therapy

People cry, not because they're weak, but because they've been strong for too long.
-- Unknown

Individual therapy is the leading intervention for many problems we encounter and people typically experience a variety of benefits. Some of these are improved relationships – with self and others, greater balance between life roles, increased insight/awareness, and even improved physical health. The process of individual therapy begins with a 60-minute intake appointment to get a detailed personal history, in-depth assessment of concerns, and the formulation of a plan to meet your goals. From here, sessions typically occur weekly for 45-50 minutes. Session frequency may be dictated by how you’re doing, what you want/need, and what insurance plans allow for. 

Couples Therapy

Couples therapy can provide a platform for couples to come together in a neutral, non-judgmental environment to explore those aspects of their respective lives and relationship that are interfering with intimacy, trust, and connection together. Often, couples wait far too long to begin therapy and the initial phase of our work is about breaking cycles that keep physical and emotional distance between you and your partner. From there, we work together to identify factors that are hurting your relationship and those that may help you find solid footing together. The process of couples therapy begins with a 90-minute intake appointment to discuss your history together and your perspectives on how the relationship is doing.  In the week following this inital appointment, I would request to meet with each of you individually for a 50-minute session to gather more information.  From there, I would see you together for weekly 50-minute sessions. Session frequency may be dictated by how you’re doing, what you want/need, and what insurance plans allow for.

Reproductive Health Psychology

I specialize in working with women and couples dealing with the many challenges and transitions that come with having a family.  Some specific concerns that clients may seek counseling for include:

  • Infertility
  • Abortion
  • Adoption
  • Miscarriage/Pregnancy Loss
  • Perinatal and postpartum Depression
  • Lactation Concerns
  • Transition to Parenthood
  • Parenting Issues

 

The challenges and transitions involved in creating a family are especially tender – new, raw, lovely, and painful all at once.  Having children, becoming a parent, and parenting are highly scripted life events in our culture.  That is, there is a certain way these things are “supposed to go” and “supposed to be” and these scripts can cause us a lot of suffering when they don’t unfold the way we expect.   It’s hard to hear another woman at work talk about planning a spring baby because being pregnant in the summer would be miserable… if only she knew that some people don’t have that luxury to plan.  It’s painful to be a new mother who feels mixed about her new role.  We’re supposed to be overjoyed with this new chapter of our lives, but what does it say about me if I’m not?  There’s a lot of room for shame, guilt, and pain in the process of planning for, trying to conceive, having, and raising children.  I treasure the work I do with women and couples to help them navigate these experiences within their own truth.  It is my priority to provide a space in your life without judgment or expectation of adherence to these “scripts.”  Instead, I hope we could work together to honor your individual experience and work through all the different thoughts and feelings you’ve had along the way.

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.  
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Clinical Approach

I work from a relational perspective. That is, I think that the relationships in our lives (and I mean this broadly – partners, family, coworkers, friends, etc) are like mirrors. The feedback we get from the people we interact with, both in words and behaviors, influences our sense of who we are and how we’re doing. This is not to say that we don’t have our own sense of self, but this can sometimes get blurry as we travel through our lives. I see therapy as a working kind of relationship. It’s very different from any other in your life, but at its core, it’s still a connection. Within this connection, I strive to offer you compassionate, non-judgmental support that will foster your growth and healing. While my relational approach serves as a foundation to my work, I spend considerable time maintaining my knowledge and skills with the latest research and flexibly incorporate techniques from a wide variety of therapeutic methods.