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About My Clients
Here's why it's hard to change : Your symptoms, your beliefs about yourself & the world? They came from something true. We figure things out from experience that are too important to give up, even when it hurts to hold onto. What's hard, and what I'm here for, is to help uncover these but also find self-compassion for how they've helped you survive. I really enjoy helping people work through trauma as they navigate the various life transitions of adult life.
My Background and Approach
I've been a therapist for a decade for a very wide range of clients. I approach therapy in multiple layers. I’m grounded in CBT (which emphasizes skills like recognizing patterns in our thoughts and managing the flow between emotions and reason), but it’s also important to take a more depth-oriented approach and look at what you’ve LEARNED from different experiences. There’s more than one type of learning and memory in the brain, and they aren’t all connected by default. Essentially, we have to talk about the emotions you felt during key moments of your life to actually find the logical conclusions your brain figured out at the time. Then, we have to contrast those beliefs with the important positive moments of our lives. It’s not enough to just compare two beliefs rationally. I’m pursuing certification in Coherence Therapy, which uses the process of memory reconsolidation to effect those changes.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
A brief list of small details : I'm a very left-leaning atheist. I'm from a farming town near Pittsburgh, I lived in Seattle from 2010-2020 and have been telehealth-only since then. My undergrad degree was in classical guitar performance and I really vibe with people who value using their creativity. I'm also a hockey goalie and volunteer for a non-profit called "Lift the Mask" that connects hockey players with therapists. I'm not a Buddhist, but I have spent a lot of time practicing zazen meditation. I only mention this stuff because I know what it's like shopping for a therapist and trying to intuit stuff. I'm really not here to change people's views - don't think I could if I tried anyways - just trying to help you make an informed choice since counseling is a big investment of time. Also, I'm no *expert* but I have a lot of experience working with people of color, immigrants, and those who speak English as a second language.