Approach to Therapy

My approach to therapy is relational and intensive. I see it as a chance to connect with another human in a protected relationship that allows for greater honesty about the difficult, painful, and confusing experiences that life brings. I foster a sense of trust and safety within the relationship that enables clients to develop a deeper understanding of self and a greater sense of purpose and connection. 

In session, I am interactive and transparent with what I feel, see, and notice. I point out patterns clients miss to go beyond surface issues and behaviors. My clients feel both supported and challenged. Almost no one comes to therapy completely content with everything. In the safety of our relationship, we look at uncomfortable things and navigate them in a way that fosters a sense of meaning and agency.

Each person comes to therapy with different experiences, issues they hope to work through, and unexpected problems that surface. I do not know where our work will go, so I do not have one "modality" I use with all clients. To me, transformative therapy cannot be taught in a skills manual. My work is eclectic. I draw on knowledge from psychology, philosophy, and sociology to understand clients and how they navigate the world around them. I tend to be a good fit for those seeking improved relationships with others, a new path, or trying to figure out life after big transitions like divorce or the loss of a loved one. 

Before I became a therapist, I completed a doctoral degree focused on how our early life experiences shape our values and the ways we see the world. In session, I use that knowledge to see the world through my client's eyes, tune into their values, and help them make changes in the present. As it becomes clearer what barriers they face, my approach might look existential, and involve depth psychology, liberation psychology, and ACT, depending on what comes up.

I see clients in person in my office across from Duke's East Campus at 911 Broad St.,  outdoors in parks and at the Eno River, or in the community in Durham and via telehealth in the rest of North Carolina and Colorado. 

If you are looking to find greater meaning and understand parts of yourself more deeply, I welcome the opportunity to talk and see if we are a good fit.