About me and how I practice

My approach to therapy is foremost client-centered, because I believe making a personal connection is the foundation in facilitating healing, allowing clients the safe space needed to tell their story.  I think about the effect of therapy on clients' relationships because the work of therapy has to also work in life outside of our sessions.  I work collaboratively with clients to uncover protective emotions and their goals for our time together.  I also have a passion for work with grief and loss.  I believe in a whole-person approach to therapy and life, and strive to help my clients achieve balance and build resiliency in facing shame.  

Picking just a few words to describe myself, my choices and reasoning follow.  

• Reflective: I think through things very carefully, whether it has to do with my own life or others.  

• Insightful: I like making connections and seeing how it all fits together.  

• Authentic: Being fake is lame.  I've taught middle school and having now survived it twice has taught me that offering who I truly am is the most effective way to navigate life.  

• Humorous: to quote Reader's Digest, Laughter is the best medicine.  

I've added a few quotes throughout this site that have been meaningful to me and capture how I see my work as a therapist, as well as my role as a human being.  Joan Rivers is not someone I would have expected to quote, but I love her reframe of how we get through tough times.  Jack Kornfield is ever on my to-read list - I'll get to his work one of these days.  And Brené Brown's work and research into shame and vulnerability has been instrumental in my personal and professional life.