My Approach

So, what does “psychodynamic” actually mean?

Searching for a therapist can be confusing. There are so many different approaches and acronyms, CBT, DBT, ACT, and more. So rather than giving you a list of terms, I want to explain what my approach actually looks like.

It starts with meeting you where you are. Maybe you're anxious or depressed. Maybe you're going through a difficult transition. Maybe you're not quite sure what you need, or you're not completely sold on this whole therapy thing. Wherever you're starting, we start there.

It starts with a relationship

I believe therapy works best when you feel comfortable being yourself. My goal is to create a relationship that feels open, non-judgmental, and collaborative, without the pressure to immediately fix or change anything.

From there, we can slow things down and get curious about what's happening beneath the surface. We might explore your relationships, emotions, past experiences, or patterns that seem to keep showing up in your life. Sometimes, understanding where a pattern came from can make it easier to decide whether it still belongs in your life today.

Making room for all of you

At the heart of my approach is wholeness. I believe we all have different parts of ourselves. Some are easy to accept, while others may be parts we dislike, feel ashamed of, or wish we could change.

Rather than trying to get rid of those parts, we'll work to understand them. Sometimes a part of us developed for a very good reason, it may have helped us feel safe, get through something difficult, or protect us at an earlier point in our lives. What once helped us may not always serve us in the same way today.

Therapy can be a place to notice these parts without judgment and begin to understand how they fit into the larger picture of who you are. The goal isn't to become a different person. It's to develop a fuller understanding of yourself and, with that understanding, more freedom to choose how you want to live.

Using what is helpful

While my approach is grounded in psychodynamic therapy, I also draw from mindfulness and other approaches when they feel useful. Sometimes we need to understand a pattern; sometimes we need a practical way to handle what we're experiencing right now. There is room for both.

Ultimately, I see therapy as a place where you don't have to leave parts of yourself at the door. We can make space for all of you and work together to better understand the whole picture.