Specialities
There are many beautiful doorways that allow access to the “infinite interiority” where trauma, meaning, identity, affect, unconscious, and Self exist. In my practice I utilize skills from robust trauma methodologies such as EMDR and IFS, as well as therapeutic models like interpersonal psychotherapy and narrative therapy. I am also grounded in principles from Depth psychology, eco psychology, liberation psychology, dream work, conscious connected breathwork, and the role of ritual and plant medicine ceremony in the healing process.
EMDR
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and uses eye movement or other forms of bi lateral stimulation (BLS/DAS) to kickstart your brain and body’s natural ability to heal by adapting and processing painful experiences, troubling memories, negative thoughts, and distressing bodily sensation.
Discovered in 1987 by Francine Shapiro, EMDR has grown into a robust evidence based practice that effectively reduces anxiety, depression, addiction, chronic pain, emotional distress, relational difficulties, and other symptoms experienced by survivors of trauma, abuse, and neglect.
EMDR is a powerful form of therapy that processes current and past distress while keeping one foot in the present moment. This helps to restore your sense of safety and control, while integrating the scary/harmful memories from your past.
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EMDR doesn’t erase painful memories, it does activate the inherent adaptive information processing system in the brain to make new associations with those memories. This greatly reduces the likelihood that you will be triggered by old, unprocessed memories. Meaning nightmares, flashbacks, and disruptive emotional outbursts will be reduced, and positive beliefs and sensations will increase.
Moving through the the 8 phases of EMDR will include focusing on the here and now of your experience. We will begin by focusing on what’s bothering you, and trace those thoughts/sensations/images/feelings back in time to expose associated memories. We will then target and re-process those memories using sets of BLS/DAS.In therapy you can utilize EMDR to:
Develop powerful resources for calming and grounding
Overcome phobias (i.e. getting shots, test taking, flying, etc)
Reduce intensity of recent trauma related symptoms like anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, fatigue, etc.
Establish a more congruent and integrated sense of self by targeting memories across your lifespan
Increase confidence for future events (i.e. sports game, live performance, giving presentations, etc)
TRAUMA
Living in the wake of trauma can be like returning home after a hurricane. You've survived the storm, but the cost is immense. Your life has been shaken to the very foundation, nothing looks or feels the same, and another storm is always threatening.
This deep wounding is typically characterized by three "E's": an event or events with a threat of physical and psychological harm, your individual experience of the event(s) and it's severity, and the long term effects of the event(s), such as re-experiencing the threat (memories / nightmares / flashbacks) and avoiding the threat (self medicating / isolation / dissociation).
Even if you don't 'remember' or have a story to tell, you may often experience the fight/flight/freeze response because of exposure to high levels of traumatic stress.
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Traumatic experience ranges from toxic levels of stress found in everyday events (i.e. work, financial, relationships, illness, loss of a loved one, etc), life threatening events (i.e. abuse, rape, auto accident, violence, warfare, etc), and long term exposure to stressful events (i.e. physical/sexual/emotional abuse, humiliation, neglect, food scarcity, poverty, political violence, etc).
In therapy you can change the way you relate to trauma by:
practicing skills to regulate distressing emotions
re-connecting with your sensations and emotions in a safe way
integrating past experiences and memories
experiencing post-traumatic growth and enhanced resiliency
“There are a thousand
wounds but all I mean
by healing is this:
that you learn to hold yourself
in exactly the way
you were never held.”
- James Pearson
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Anxiety and depression are two sides of the same coin. On one side you feel keyed up, on edge, or maxed out. While some stress is tolerable, this anxiety is a high energy/low pleasant feeling that keeps your thoughts racing, your body on guard, and your worry out of control.
On the other side you feel unmotivated, disconnected, and pushed down. While it is good to be able to slow down, depression is the low energy/low pleasant feeling that keeps your negative thoughts on repeat and your sense of self-worth low.
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Anxiety and depression are emotional, physical, cognitive experiences that keep you from enjoying your life in the present moment. In therapy you can:
Identify emotional triggers
Recognize and challenge problematic thoughts
Develop resources for calming
Learn to trust the wisdom of your body
Encounter your true self and voice
CONSCIOUS CONNECTED BREATHWORK
Breathwork is a safe, accessible way to enter into the “infinite interiority” of your psychological, emotional, somatic, creative, and spiritual life.
The practice of consciously working with the breath in a safe and supportive environment can help unwind tension in the body, regulate the nervous system, and lead to feelings of renewal.
DREAM WORK
In the early days of psychoanalysis dream content was considered “the royal road to the unconscious.” As theories have evolved and neuroscience has expanded our understanding of the dreaming brain we have come to see dreaming both as key mechanism in encoding memory and as a portal to the source of the inner, symbolic life.
Tending to dreams in the therapeutic space promotes self awareness, the integration of different self states and opposing/conflicting emotional states, and a more vibrant connection to your creativity.
PLANT MEDICINE SUPPORT
Stepping into an intentional plant medicine ceremony to access and process core wounds can be a life changing experience. I’m honored to join clients called in this direction that want to prepare for and integrate plant medicine experiences.
I can work with you to clarify intentions, identify important safety concerns, and integrate images, symbols, and feelings that arise from the emotional, cognitive, and spiritual realms of your journey.
