About

Wondering if there is better?

From outward appearances your life seems pretty great. You have everything that you thought you always wanted and needed…

Yet, each day when your alarm stirs you into consciousness, your mind seems to be on autopilot. Down the rabbit hole you go, thinking thoughts that you would prefer not to have.

These thoughts provoke feelings that leave you wondering…

Will I ever appreciate myself, my life, and feel fulfilled?

Am I ever going to stop having these unwanted, anxious, and worrying thoughts?

Will I ever feel truly worthy or will sadness, shame, and guilt always be there?

Will my past ever stop invading the present and threatening my future?

Will the people in my life ever really “see” me and respect my needs?

Your body feels stressed, unhealthy, and shaky.

You are not invisible.

The therapeutic relationship is a unique collaboration.

If you think about it, there are few relationships where another human being will meet us exactly where we are; will genuinely seek to understand our thoughts, emotions, and inner experience without judgment; and will help guide us to honor our goals and commitments to be our best selves and live the lives we imagined.

How I help people heal the past, be fully present, and thrive in the future…

Stuck and unable to function

Cam*, a fifth grader was so consumed with shame and guilt over his obsessive thoughts about germs at school that he began to refuse to go to school. He was unable to function like most elementary-aged kids. He spent increasing time in the bathroom, coming later and later to class, finally refusing to go to school.

Together, we learned that his brain was short circuiting, tricking him into irrational and fearful thinking, based on illogical evidence. After, exposure-response prevention therapy and collaborating with his parents, who were taught to follow a regimen at home, Cam is a thriving middle schooler.

The trauma of past, affecting present and future

Jackie* was in great pain. Her relationships with her grown children were strained because they blamed her for divorcing their alcoholic, abusive father when they were young. She felt that she had failed them. More than anything, Jackie wanted to be close to her children, and for them to know that she loved them.

In the safety of therapy, Jackie was able to learn about the cycle of abuse, how she had reacted to her traumatic past, both emotionally and bodily, and develop new ways of thinking and interacting with her children. She was able to have honest and important conversations with her children that led to greater connection.

When I met Erica*, she had intense self-loathing. She hated her body. She often abused it as a result – overeating, drinking, and depriving it of rest. The only area of her life where Erica felt truly capable was in her intense, hard-driving career. There she was in control.

Erica could not shake the feelings of shame, unworthiness, and feeling like a fraud. She experienced sensations of panic in her body, with distressing chest tightness, heart pounding, and feeling like she had swallowed a golf ball. She constantly worried that she would never learn how to receive and give love, or how to protect her future children from the terrible abuse she had suffered as a child.

With inspiring courage, and trust for the process of therapy, Erica learned how to love herself, understand why her body was reacting to past trauma, and how to regulate her body and her emotions. Today, she has a healthy relationship with herself – and with her cherished family.

Getting a look at what lies beneath…

For the past 22 years, I have been truly privileged to share the gift of therapy with others – to help people find their way out of pain, trauma, invisibility, and feelings of shame… to thrive in their lives and deeply connect with themselves and in their primary relationships.

I am truly in awe of the power of resilience in children, teens, and adults when we muster the courage to “turn over the rocks” and have a look at what lies beneath.

You do not have to suffer from mental illness to come into therapy. Life can simply be unpredictable, stressful, and painful. Sometimes we need professional help to regain our direction, our sense of self, and our connections to others.

Unresolved issues travel with you.

In 2007, my family and I moved to Africa, where we lived for five years. Working there taught me a powerful lesson: No matter where you go in the world, you take yourself and your unresolved issues with you.

There is no way a change of location, no matter how exotic, will transform our unexamined problems.

These issues find a way of “leaking” out. They seep out in anger, anxiety, and fear… a sense of disconnection with our most treasured relationships… a physical manifestation of illness and pain resulting from neglecting our emotional world.

Therapy that goes beyond…

As a trained trauma therapist, it is my mission to see my clients in a holistic manner, helping them care for their minds, bodies, and souls… and to give them the practical tools to heal, thrive, and reinvent themselves.

The therapy I offer goes beyond the head nods and “uh-huhs”; it creates a dynamic, multi-sensory experience for real, positive, and sustained change. Therapy with me will go at your pace, I help people find the courage to examine their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. To understand how sensations of stress, panic, and anger are felt in the body.

In therapy, sometimes we will mine the past to learn why we are doing something in the present that is not working for you. At other times, I may ask you to do small assignments outside of therapy, to practice what we are working on in therapy, and apply these skills in your life in between sessions. I may ask you to read or journal about your reactions to situations in your life.

I may gently challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and try out a new experience or to take a calculated risk.

There are times that I will encourage you to look at your self-care in terms of nutrition, exercise, and sleep, in an effort to support all of you and help you reach your goals.

Together, we will wade through the experiences of what it means to be human…

…and to forge connections in our lives that are meaningful, satisfying, and lead to feeling fully alive.

Therapy is one of the best investments in yourself you will ever make. Take the first step and reach out today. If I can’t help, I will know someone who can.

So, if you like what you have been thinking and feeling as you’ve read about therapy, have questions, or want to dive in…

Start today. Make the call for a free 20-minute consultation. I answer when I can; but if I can’t, I’ll call you back promptly! (571) 289-9181

*Names and details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.