Services

I offer therapy to individual adults, age 18 and older, only.

My areas of specialty are:

Chronic Illness (including rare disorders, as well as traditionally unrecognized illnesses such as chronic Lyme, CIRS, EDS, MCS and MCAS)
Chronic Pain
Medical Trauma
Anxiety
Depression
PTSD
Grief
Life Transitions

I utilize a combination of modalities and theories that best suit the individual's needs. You can read more about the types of therapy that I use below.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) & ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)

Sometimes we (unknowingly) develop unhealthy thoughts and beliefs that contribute to additional stress and pain surrounding our situation. CBT helps individuals identify unhealthy thought patterns and reframe them into more accurate and helpful thoughts and beliefs.

ACT uses acceptance, commitment and mindfulness strategies to increase one's psychological flexibility when working towards to behavioral changes. The key in ACT is accepting and being present with difficult feelings and emotions in order to achieve change.

Somatic

Somatic psychotherapy is an integrative approach that allows for treating the whole being including one’s thoughts, sensations, attitude and belief systems, which all impact one’s physical and mental well-being. Somatic therapy is a very helpful tool to utilize with trauma-associated symptoms, which are often experienced physically in one’s body. Some of these tools include breathwork and body awareness exercises.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help shift our minds from worry and anxiety to the present moment in a non-judgemental way. Mindfulness has proven to cultivate awareness, regulate attention, and strengthen self-regulation. It is also a helpful tool to show kindness to ourselves and others.

IFS (Internal Family Systems)

IFS is an evidence-based psychotherapy that allows one to identify various parts of themselves that need healing and re-harmonizing. In IFS work, no part is a bad part, and the goal is to find integration and acceptance of all parts of oneself.

Polyvagal Theory

The polyvagal theory states that early, repeated interactions tone (or shape) the autonomic nervous system, which results in automatic survival responses that our bodies and brains have acquired following trauma. This theory states that following trauma, co-regulation (being around others) can become dangerous, and we lose the ability to self-regulate or self-soothe. This theory is hope-filled as it recognizes that the patterns that developed in our bodies and brains happened automatically without our awareness; however, despite this automatic wiring, we have the ability to rewire or repattern our autonomic nervous system!

“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

– Viktor E. Frankl