What should I expect in our first session?
Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another. I am interested in understanding you as an entire person; everyone has a multifaceted life, and I’m curious to get a fuller picture of what that looks like for you. I’m interested in your history, the challenges and obstacles you’re facing, and your goals for treatment. I also want to hear about what’s going well and the strengths you already bring so that we can build on them together. In our first meeting we’ll use our time together to create a secure foundation from which to plan a productive and empowering way forward. I’m looking forward to discovering this path with you in a way that is based on what you hope to achieve through therapy.
How do you describe your therapeutic approach?
I’m very inspired by the philosophical underpinnings of psychodynamics. I believe that certain trends and recurring patterns in our lives may often not be immediately obvious to us. I also think that when these experiences are explored and better understood, we can find avenues toward different and more comfortable ways of living. I aim to help this exploration take place through dialogue and reflection.
It’s also important to critically examine the narratives we craft about our lives, to understand what forces go into shaping these stories, and to allow ourselves a more active role in determining how they are experienced and developed as we move through our lives. It’s essential that a therapeutic approach be informed by and adapted to the unique circumstances of each specific client. I am committed to creating a safe and supportive environment where all of these processes can unfold.
What’s something your clients might be surprised to learn about you?
I was born and raised in southwestern Wyoming, where the nearest large city was a three-hour drive away. I moved to New York for my first degree and have been here since. I love the experiences and cultural opportunities that living in the city provides (particularly live music), but I still appreciate some time wandering around a national park.
In another life, if you weren’t working in counseling, what would you be doing?
I love working in this field, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But whenever I find a new hobby, I do find myself imagining what it would mean if it were at the center of my life. In the past, that’s been thinking about a yoga studio with an attached community language education center; since taking up knitting there’ve been occasional daydreams about an upstate goat and sheep farm.
What’s a self-care ritual you practice?
I have been consistently practicing various types of vinyasa yoga for around fifteen years. It is a part of my life that has brought me a lot of joy, calm, and satisfaction. Certain techniques and methods that draw from those classes (like mindfulness-based meditations and breathing exercises) may also have their place in our sessions, if that is something you would like to incorporate.