What to Expect

Therapy will both challenge and change you

We will begin therapy by assessing your presenting problem(s), defining your needs, establishing your goals, and developing a plan for reaching those goals. How we get there is a process of talking together about what matters to you and my reflecting back to you what I hear, see, and feel while checking for understanding. I will be active in this process by asking about your relationships, pain, and desires. We will talk about patterns of behavior, challenge old beliefs, and build on your sources of strength.

I will work with you to build an emotionally safe and respectful relationship.

You will always feel safe but not always comfortable. Discomfort is a reaction to the emotional challenges you feel in your body and the process of learning to listen to them. Learning to listen to your discomfort will bring relief and the opportunity for you to experience yourself, family, or relationship in a different way.

Our work together will be unique.

With nearly 30 years of experience, I know the process of therapy very well but I have never worked with you before! Our work together will be unique as we build a relationship that allows you to tell your story and sense freshly for deeper meaning. I will draw on my education in philosophy, religion, art, and approaches to therapy such as Existential, Client Centered, Adlerian, Family systems, Aboriginal, and Focusing-Oriented. Together we will find the ways that best help you heal, grow, and live the life that is uniquely yours.

I will teach you the key skill of pausing in order to gain clarity about your feelings.

When you pause you will learn to be present with your bodily felt sensations, which convey all that you know about a situation. As we check, listen to, and discuss these felt senses, you will learn to trust this bodily knowing as a reliable guide to moving forward.

You can experience breakthroughs and benefit from therapy immediately.

Some of the benefits of therapy include the relief of bodily tension and psychological stress, as well as dramatic and lasting shifts in understanding and insight. These shifts happen spontaneously as you “hit upon” what your body is telling you. You will experience a feeling of release and ease as you move into a space of knowing what is true and right for you.

Ready to begin?

Contact me with your questions or to schedule a free half-hour session to see if my services could be a good fit for you. You can also learn more about how I approach Focusing-Oriented Therapy. See the Fees & Payments page for session fees and insurance billing information.