Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.
—Brené Brown
Individual Therapy
Becoming aware of your authentic self and living in a way that is consistent with this is one of the most liberating feelings. Whether you are discovering more about yourself through conversation or by setting boundaries, it is important to gain a better understanding of the way you view yourself, others, and the world. Oftentimes life experiences shift our perspectives in ways that may no longer be helpful to us. I enjoy the process of helping my clients understand the lens through which they see the world, the patterns that maintain it, and helping them adjust this lens to better meet their current needs and desires.
How you spend your time and who you surround yourself with largely determines who you are and what your future will be. We all face life transitions, challenging times, and periods of growth. Individual therapy can empower you to accelerate your goals, be more assertive, and move forward with a sense of direction. In addition to specializing in anxiety, depression, and self-improvement, I also have significant experience and training working with the LGBTQIA+ population and with clients who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and neurodiversity.
Anxiety
High levels of anxiety cause people to approach the world from a place of fear and worry. This often leads them to over plan, become rigid, avoid or try to control the uncontrollable. Going through life this way can be exhausting and can inadvertently push others away in the process. Therapy can support you to become more flexible in your approach to life, let go of rigid patterns, and find more balance and peace. As part of the anxiety spectrum, I am proficient at helping people with social anxiety, perfectionism, and anticipatory anxiety.
When anxieties lead to more extreme ways of avoiding or escaping, I guide clients with exposure therapy techniques. The more you avoid something that makes you anxious, the greater the anxiety gets. Luckily, the opposite is also true. The more you expose yourself to stimuli that makes you anxious, the more manageable it becomes. To do this, it is important to decrease your dependence on the things you do to avoid and escape, like substances, digital media, etc. and learn healthier ways to cope with these emotions. Incorporating more joy into your life and taking yourself less seriously can be additional benefits to managing your anxiety.
Depression
Anxiety and depression are more connected than most people realize. Oftentimes when we stop distracting ourselves with the business of life, there can be a feeling of isolation and meaninglessness that makes it hard to function in everyday life. Part of the human condition is that we will all face suffering and loss at some point. This may be in the form of losing a loved one, facing an illness, or feeling the deep pain of isolation. As a therapist, I empower you to connect with others and find your sense of purpose. Supporting you to live in a way that is authentic and meaningful can allow you to approach life with a newfound sense of engagement and interest.
My training in Existentialism is used to support you in navigating the tensions we all face with death (the fear of finitude, even though awareness of our own death can give our lives more meaning), freedom (our desire for making our own choices, and yet the paralyzing feeling of being responsible for our own destiny), isolation (the desire to feel connected, yet there is an unclosable gap between us and everyone else), and meaninglessness (the importance of making your own meaning in a life that has no inherent meaning in it). I view depression and anxiety from the lens that one’s mood is signaling that something isn’t right, encouraging you to take a closer look at your life to make changes to better support your wellbeing. This process aids in discovering what helps to improve your mood and increase your sense of satisfaction with life.
Self-Improvement
Therapy can be a place to help you get back to your baseline, or it can be a place for you to continue to challenge yourself in new and exciting ways. Therapy is not just helpful for those experiencing unwanted psychiatric symptoms, but also for people who enjoy the process of self-discovery, have a desire to reflect and challenge themselves, who care deeply about their relationships, and for those who want to become the best version of themselves. Helping you to live authentically and exceed your life goals is incredibly rewarding. Living authentically can include goals such as: making decisions based on your own wants/desires/values, being more assertive, transitioning to the gender that is correct for you, breaking out of societal/religious expectations, starting your own company, and setting a new bar for what life fulfillment can look like.