Effective therapy isn't one-size-fits-all. I draw from multiple evidence-based modalities to create a treatment approach tailored to your history, your goals, and your pace. Here are the primary approaches I use in my practice.
Internal Family Systems (IFS), Primary Modality
Internal Family Systems is the foundation of my clinical work and the modality that has most shaped how I practice. Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS recognizes that the mind is naturally multiple, made up of various "parts" that each carry their own feelings, beliefs, and roles.
As a Certified IFS Therapist with Level 2 training, I help clients develop a compassionate relationship with all of their parts, including the ones that carry pain, fear, or shame. Through IFS, we access the core Self: a naturally wise, calm, and compassionate inner leader that everyone possesses. From this place of Self-energy, real healing becomes possible.
IFS is particularly effective for trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, dissociative disorders, and relationship issues.
IFIO: IFS for Couples
Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) is a specialized application of IFS designed specifically for couples therapy. As an IFIO-trained therapist, I help partners understand how their own internal parts interact with each other's parts, creating patterns of reactivity, withdrawal, or conflict.
IFIO helps couples move from defensive, part-driven interactions to Self-led connection. Partners learn to see each other's protectors with curiosity rather than judgment, creating space for vulnerability, empathy, and genuine intimacy.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores how unconscious processes and past experiences shape current behavior, relationships, and emotional patterns. This approach helps bring awareness to long-standing patterns that may operate outside of conscious awareness, allowing for lasting change at a fundamental level.
Person-Centered Therapy
Grounded in the work of Carl Rogers, person-centered therapy emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as the primary vehicle for change. I provide unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness, creating a safe environment where you feel truly seen, heard, and accepted exactly as you are. This relational foundation supports all other therapeutic work.
Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach
As a neurodivergent individual myself, I'm committed to providing a safe, affirming space for neurodivergent clients. I understand that neurodivergent brains, including those with ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence, process information, emotions, and sensory input differently, and I adapt my approach accordingly.
IFS therapy works particularly well with neurodivergent clients because the concept of "parts" often clicks with the neurodivergent experience. Sessions are adapted for different processing styles and sensory needs, and I approach each client's unique neurotype with curiosity and respect rather than trying to make them fit a neurotypical mold.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Mindfulness practices help cultivate present-moment awareness without judgment. I integrate mindfulness techniques across my work to help clients develop greater awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. This awareness creates space between stimulus and response, allowing for more intentional choices and greater emotional regulation.
Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is a slow-paced, meditative style of yoga that targets deep connective tissues - ligaments, joints, and fascia - by holding passive poses for 3-20 minutes. Unlike active "yang" yoga, it promotes deep relaxation, flexibility, and stress reduction, typically focusing on the hips, pelvis, and lower spine to improve energy flow and mental calm.
Key Principles and Philosophy
- Targeted Tissues: Unlike muscle-focused (yang) exercise, yin targets connective tissues to enhance flexibility and joint mobility.
- Stillness: The practice emphasizes remaining in poses to cultivate mental calmness and emotional balance.
- Long Holds: Poses are held passively for long durations to allow muscles to relax, letting the stress go into the connective tissues.
- Mindfulness: It is a form of active meditation that encourages self-inquiry and deep relaxation.
Benefits of Yin Yoga
- Increased Flexibility: Targets ligaments, bones, and joints to improve range of motion.
- Deep Relaxation & Stress Relief: Slows down the mind, helps let go of tension, and relaxes the nervous system.
- Enhanced Mobility: Focuses on hips, pelvis, and lower spine, aiding in structural improvements.
- Restorative: Ideal for reducing fatigue, exhaustion, and burnout.
Guidelines for Practice
- Find Your Edge: Move into the pose to a point where you feel a significant, but not painful, sensation.
- Remain Still: Avoid unnecessary movement to keep the focus on deep, connective tissues.
- Hold Time: Stay in poses for 3-5 minutes for beginners, up to 20 minutes for advanced practitioners.
- Use Props: Use pillows, cushions, or blankets to support the body, allowing muscles to relax fully.
Christian-Integrated Counseling
For clients who desire it, I offer faith-integrated counseling that weaves spiritual perspectives into the therapeutic process. This approach honors the role that faith plays in your life while maintaining the highest standards of clinical care. Integration of faith is always client-led. There is never any pressure or requirement to include spiritual elements in our work.
Why an Integrative Approach?
No single therapeutic approach is right for every person or every situation. My integrative approach means I can draw from a broad toolkit, matching the right techniques to your specific needs in each moment of our work together. Whether we're doing deep IFS parts work, building distress tolerance skills, or sitting in mindful awareness, every choice is guided by what will serve your healing best. This flexibility is especially important for complex presentations like substance abuse and domestic violence recovery, where multiple modalities working together produce the best outcomes.
With over 19 years of clinical experience and specialized certifications across multiple modalities, I bring both depth and breadth to our therapeutic work. My commitment to continued training ensures that I stay at the forefront of evidence-based practice.