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My approach to therapy is largely informed by affective neuroscience and psychodynamic theory.
Affective neuroscience holds that our emotions evolved to enhance our survival. They do this by providing information about our innate needs — telling us, in their own way, whether these needs are being met. Emotions also motivate us to act, moving us toward safety, connection, and fulfillment.
Personal change can be so difficult because we ourselves are complex. Psychodynamic theory helps explain this complexity in several ways.
(1) We do not fully know ourselves. Even the most self-aware among us have unconscious thoughts, feelings, and wishes that influence how we live and relate.
(2) We do not completely want to know ourselves. To protect ourselves from pain, we unknowingly push many of these thoughts and wishes out of awareness.
(3) We contain many parts. Each of us holds a range of contradictory feelings and perspectives. Many of our struggles arise when we deny this inner multiplicity — when we can’t yet see the full, nuanced reality of ourselves and others.
My primary goal as your therapist will be to understand you — and to help you understand yourself more fully. To do that, I’ll focus on building trust and creating a space where you feel safe, seen, and accepted. Our work together will be guided by curiosity, openness, and respect for your pace.
It will be your responsibility to speak as freely and truthfully as possible, and to choose what we talk about each session. A useful guideline is to begin with whatever feels most present or emotionally alive in the moment — whether that’s a recent experience, a dream, or a persistent thought or feeling.
I will listen carefully and nonjudgmentally, often asking questions to help you explore your inner world more deeply. Together, we’ll pay special attention to your emotions — to what they’re telling you, and to the thoughts and wishes that may lie just beneath awareness. Over time, we’ll begin to understand how and why certain feelings or desires have been pushed away.
As you come to know yourself more fully — including your deepest wishes and the meaning behind your emotions — you may start to see new ways to get your needs met and to address the struggles that first brought you to therapy. My hope is that this understanding will bring you a greater sense of clarity, freedom, and peace.
I began my career as a school social worker, supporting elementary and middle school students and their families. I now provide individual psychotherapy to adolescents and adults. I am credentialed by the State of Colorado as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CSW.9925883).