My approach
If you're wondering what working with me is actually like, this is the honest version: how I think about therapy, how I work, and what the road tends to look like once we begin.
What I believe therapy is
Therapy, to me, is two things at once. It's a place where you finally get to be understood without having to perform, explain, or earn it. And it's a place where that understanding becomes the ground for real change, not just a space to vent and leave the same.
Most people arrive carrying patterns that once protected them and now quietly hold them back. As a songwriter I love puts it, we can't use old keys to open new doors. Part of our work is noticing which keys you've outgrown, and having the courage to set them down.
I believe people are stronger and more capable than they tend to give themselves credit for. Often what's missing isn't strength; it's an outside perspective that can reflect back what's hard to see in yourself. That's the role I try to play: not the expert on your life, but a steady, honest companion while you figure out your own way forward.
How I work
I'm not a blank-slate therapist, and I'm not strictly manualized. I use what the session in front of us actually calls for, which is why an integrative approach matters to me. My foundation is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and humanistic, insight-oriented work, and I regularly draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), along with experience in gestalt, solution-focused, and psychodynamic approaches.
In practice, that flexibility looks like meeting the moment honestly. Sometimes we let catharsis do its work and simply make room for what you're feeling. Sometimes I'll offer psychoeducation so a confusing experience finally has a name. Sometimes there's a specific skill, reframe, or worksheet that fits exactly what you're facing this week. You bring the expertise on your life; I bring frameworks for understanding it and tools for changing it.
The relationship between us is part of how that change happens, not just the backdrop for it. I'll offer empathy and validation, and I'll also respectfully challenge you when you're ready for it. Sometimes healing starts with feeling understood. Sometimes it asks for an honest look at what isn't working. Most often, it's both.
What to expect over time
Early sessions are about getting to know you, the story you're carrying, and what you want to be different. There's no prepared agenda required. Some days you'll arrive knowing exactly what you need to work through; other days we'll start with "I don't know" and find it together. By the end of those first sessions, we'll usually have a shared sense of the patterns worth working on and the goals that matter to you.
From there, the work deepens. We trace where your patterns came from, what they were originally protecting, and what it would take to respond differently. This is where insight starts turning into change you can feel in your actual life: steadier relationships, clearer boundaries, less time lost to the things that used to run the show.
We'll check in regularly about how things are going, so you're never left wondering whether therapy is working. As symptoms ease and life feels more manageable, we'll decide together when it makes sense to step down to a lower frequency. Ending well, or easing off gradually, is part of the work too, not an awkward exit. My hope is always that you leave more able to be your own steady presence, with therapy as something you chose to grow from rather than something you had to keep leaning on.
The free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to talk it through, ask questions, and see if we're the right fit. When you're ready, I'm here.
Schedule a Free Consultation Or call (424) 262-2979