While I have been trained as a Generalist Psychologist and use a variety of techniques and tailor therapy to each client, I primarily work from an Integrative model consisting of Interpersonal Process Therapy, Feminist Theory, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This integration considers how you relate to others, both your interpersonal strengths and areas of improvements. You may relate to others based on your family of origin, past or current experiences, cultural identities, or other factors that have impacted your development. When a therapeutic alliance is formed, gradually an individual's relational style will also start to occur in our work. For instance, if you relate to others through the use of humor, we will examine how this benefits you and/or could be hindering your relationships. This approach to therapy can help you better understand yourself by receiving immediate feedback on your strengths and areas of improvement. 

Feminist interventions consider cultural context that impacts how we form and maintain relationships, as well as impacting our sense of self and well-being. Cultural context means that all parts of your cultural identity, such as race, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, age, sexual/romantic orientation, religious orientation, and ability status are important in exploring your whole experience during the therapy process. What this means for you in therapy with me is that I will look beyond your “presenting problem” and symptoms to your relationships with loved ones and family and the greater context of your world and how that impacts your functioning and well-being. This tends to be a de-pathologizing approach that focuses on the whole person rather than focusing on a list of symptoms.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidenced-based treatment, which means that the effectiveness of CBT has been supported by research. CBT skills will help first teach you about the interaction between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. You will learn to identify, examine, and change unhelpful, negative-based thoughts. For instance, you may have an automatic thought (i.e., "if I don't make people laugh, they will reject me") that leads to certain feelings and behaviors when relating to others. Learning CBT skills will gradually help you to transform your emotions and behaviors to automatic thoughts. Ultimately, CBT skills can help you maintain long-term growth and improvement in your life.