Individual Therapy

A key component of my practice is to steer away from clinical jargon. You don’t care about how much I know until you know how much I care. Helping you find a clear understanding of your brain and body in a way that makes sense to you is key in building the foundation for you to improve your quality of life. I treat people aged 18-70 years old and I’m experienced and confident in helping people heal most afflictions. I specialize in providing treatment for attachment trauma, incidental trauma, and long-term exposure trauma.

We’ll spend the first few sessions getting to know each other at a pace that feels comfortable for you. My goal during this phase is to build a trusting, therapeutic relationship with you and armor you with psychoeducation. Psychoeducation is the understanding of how your brain and body (behaviors, actions, reactions, coping skills and mechanisms) work together to create your day to day experiences. We’ll discuss some basic level science (diagrams and dad jokes sprinkled in for free!) on how the brain functions and why you might feel or react to life the way you do right now. I’ve found many people lack a sense of self; they don’t have a relationship with the person in the mirror. Is it a surprise then that they’re anxious? Before we start throwing coping skills and adjustments at the problem, let’s first empower you to find the value in utilizing them, eliminate barriers that could make seeking help more difficult, and understanding yourself through a less intimidating lens. 

The most important element to my work is a strong alliance between myself and the person I’m working with. Every professional relationship I have is unique and built around mutual respect and trust. I know I have to earn that trust and respect before I can expect anyone to do a deep dive into their pain and healing. I’ve learned for me, that means showing up as my most authentic self in the same way the process requires of you. You and I will work together to develop goals for therapy and most of the time that requires pretty tough conversations about past experiences as well as how those experiences are affecting your daily life presently. I believe in the magic of good therapy, I believe in the power of neuroscience, and I believe in you.

There are different styles or types of therapies (often referred to as modalities) and every therapist has a few favorites or “go-tos”. Everyone I work with gets a tailored approach based on what fits them best. I won’t bore you with theories, but my skills lean heavily on fostering self-awareness. Getting curious about who you are and how you show up in the world is a great first step to being empowered for change. If we can name it, we can tame it. I’m also certified in a specialty practice: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is not like traditional talk therapy and we can discuss whether or not it’s the right fit for you. If you’d like to explore more about EMDR, feel free to do your own research. The EMDR International Association and the EMDR Institute are great resources for more information. It’s important to note, while many conversations surrounding EMDR suggest it’s benefits for trauma single incidents, it’s a great choice for people who have trauma to the way they think about themselves. For more information on covert trauma check out my blog post “Trauma: Understanding your experience and winning the adversity contest.” I offer EMDR intensives, starting with 4 hours of focused trauma work, with additional time added as needed for your individual goals. EMDR intensives are great for those who are ready to dig into some deep healing work, people who have busy schedules which don’t accommodate weekly sessions, or people who do not live close to my Saint Louis office. All EMDR reprocessing sessions are exclusively in-person.