My clients come from families with untreated or unacknowledged substance abuse and mental illness and are afraid of making the same mistakes they saw growing up. They struggle with giving themselves the grace and compassion they easily give to others.
Often, my clients are afraid they are the only ones who feel this alone and confused. They have few close friends and wish they knew how to have deeper friendships and healthier relationships with their partners and / or their own children.
Codependency
Often times my clients accept responsibility for others' feelings and behaviors, leaving the feeling drained, guilty, and resentful.
I help my clients identify areas of overfunctioning in relationships, develop a strong self-concept, implement boundaries, and learn how to nurture & care for themselves.
Though they are scared and fearful at first, my clients love learning to empower themselves and how to love others without it being at the expense of themselves.
Family Conflict
My clients often find themselves in a pattern of feeling guilty for not being enough sometimes and being too much at others. They struggle to communicate in a way that is clear, with having the same arguments with their parents, siblings, and significant others.
I help my clients learn to relate to others in a way that shows respect and dignity to themselves and their loved ones. My clients learn how to really hear what others are saying and communicate in a clear, concise, compassionate way.
Stress When my clients call, arguments at home are increasing. They have no time for themselves. Anxiety and depression are continuing to cycle. Most of the time, fear and dread are a living, breathing phenomenon that follows them around everywhere. They have no idea where to start or how to make it stop.
I address the most important stressors in my clients' lives so that they can begin to feel relief from the very 1st appointment. Daily, ongoing stress does not have to be a way of life.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Challenging assumptions and beliefs are at the core of the work I do with my clients. When you allow yourself to look at a situation or problem from a different perspective, you give yourself the opportunity to apply a broader range of solutions.
Trying something new may seem daunting at first, but seeing it from a new lens will make all the difference in the world.
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
What looks like controlling, judgmental, perfectionistic tendencies is actually a way of managing fear. Addiction, avoidance, and panic are other ways we try to run from fear. They are a well developed defense mechanism learned early on to keep you feeling safe.
Recognizing that these parts (or Internal Family Systems - IFS) are all trying to protect you and keep you from feeling your feelings is the first step. You don't have to be afraid of your feelings. IFS work will teach you how.
Mindfulness-based Therapy
All of my clients will tell you, I consistently ask them how they are feeling & what they are noticing at any given moment during our sessions. So many of us have learned to dissociate from our bodies and feelings that we have no idea what is going on inside.
Mindfulness allows us to re-engage our parasympathetic nervous system when we are stressed out. It teaches us that we can regulate our response to stress in a way that is healthy and manageable.