Therapy Approach
Culturally responsive, trauma informed therapy for all parts of you.
Note: There are no guarantees counseling will solve all problems, or how quickly changes will occur. There are no miracle cures, but it improves the odds, particularly if you start early.
Therapy Approach
how i approach therapy
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You’ve tried traditional talk therapy before and want something different.
I offer somatic and experiential therapy.
I’m an active therapist, rather than a passive therapist.
I may interrupt you, challenge you, offer you a different perspective, teach you skills, provide you education, and ask you to try other ways of thinking or relating.
Sometimes, I curse and laugh.
Because therapy is so individualized and I’m imperfect, I’m receptive to feedback, strive to be flexible, apologize when I make a mistake, and repair when disagreements and/or ruptures occur.
I also regularly check in with you to see if we are working toward your goals.
I believe the best therapy for you is the one we create together, taking into account your preferences, personality, culture, as well as my skill, experience, and variety of therapeutic techniques.
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My job is to help you face conflicts so you can better understand yourself, feel more free and less stuck, and integrate past wounds that keep you stuck.
Therapy is a relationship where we’ll work together to achieve your goals.
My job is not to tell you what to do or “fix” you.
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A session may include:
Noticing and interrupting negative self-talk/thoughts/beliefs/stories/narratives
Provide you education on what may be occurring
Offer you my observations around patterns and dynamics
Challenging you at times with compassion and curiosity
Inquiring about your desires, values, and needs
Continued challenges, barriers, difficulties
Learning self management skills
Facilitating underlying emotions
Regulating anxiety
Practicing slowing down and curiosity of your internal world
Developing more acceptance and compassion
Exploring your relationships outside of session.
And more
Please be open to feedback and change if you want your life to be different. I’ll also be open to learning, flexible, and adaptive.
Life changing therapy is difficult, uncomfortable, slow, and at times, painful.
Change often happens at the intersection of discomfort, patience, and repetition.
While healing work is rarely comfortable and easy, I promise to hold you with compassion, respect, and kindness.
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Beginning & Check In
5-10 minutes
Saying hello, reviewing past 1-2 weeks.
Easing into the discomfort.
Updates and logistical items.
Middle & The Work
40-50 minutes
Goal consensus: Focusing on what you want to work on.
Ending & Review
5-10 minutes
Saying goodbye and summarizing.
Feedback
Compartmentalizing, getting ready for the rest of the day, resourcing, grounding yourself.
Assigning optional relational homework.
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Core components of AEDP include:
Practicing curiousity
Slowing down when you rush
Asking you to go inside of your body
Feeling your emotions
Healing past wounds through processing unreleased experiences/memories rather than using defensive tactics (distraction, numbing, intellectualization, internalization, dissociation, etc.) that keep you stuck
The goal is to undo aloneness (self reliance) and move toward an authentic and stronger sense of Self while connecting with others.
Click here to learn more about AEDP.
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We have many parts inside of us. Some parts fight with one another keeping us “stuck”.
This can show up as sabotage, trauma repetition, exhaustion, addictive tendencies, judgement, criticism, guilt, anxiety, and shame.
I’ll help you understand why you do what you do and learn practical skills you can use when overwhelmed.
The goal of IFS to integrate all these fractured parts so you can access more of your true Self which includes:
Self love
Self acceptance
Self worth
Self confidence
Self esteem
Click here to learn more about IFS.
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I’ll inquire about your relationships and how this impacts how you see your yourself, trust others, and relate to intimacy.
This can show up as avoidance, distraction, fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, etc.
My job is to gently point these patterns out and provide you new ways of relating so you can learn:
Healthy boundaries (how to say no without guilt & setting limits)
Assertive communication (ask for what you need)
Ways to express your emotions (feeling emotions rather than dealing with thoughts)
Click here to learn more about EFT.
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TIF focuses on co-creating a therapeutic space based on safety, choice, trust, collaboration, respect for diversity, and empowerment.
You are in control of our sessions.
The goal is for you to understand the nuances of trauma, pathways toward healing, how to manage triggers and moments of dysregulation, increase flexibility, be more comfortable with uncertainty, feel more embodied and safe, step into your power, instill hope, and create a life worth living.
Click here to learn more about TIFC.
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Individual therapy is one part toward healing.
There must be larger, systemic changes in our families, relationships, communities, society, and world.
Decolonizing therapy means I am constantly unlearning, learning, and relearning.
This can show up in session as
Inquiring about how systemic issues like racism, sexism, classism, transphobia, ageism, etc. impacts your life
Practicing curiosity
Understanding your unique context and experiences through historical, political, familial, and generational legacies
Challenging incomplete stories/narratives/beliefs with more complete beliefs
Centering the healing power of relationships, community, and cultural heritage
Encouraging you to take action outside of session as appropriate toward personal values
Showing up as my authentic and congruent Self (versus as a neutral/blank slate)
lf disclosing and sharing with you my personal experiences if I feel it would benefit you
Doing my own work by attending my own personal therapy and consultation
Click here to read more Decolonizing Therapy.
I Have More Questions
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As a consumer of therapy, it is your responsibility to do your due diligence and research what types of treatment you want to engage in.
A list of therapeutic modalities/approaches:
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Yes, but it depends.
Research shows about 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover as indicated by self-reported symptom measures.
Therapy Is More Helpful When:
There is a good relationship between client and therapist (personality, temperament, style, approach, feeling understood and validated)
Adequate education, training, and skill needed to treat the concerns
Regular feedback/measurement toward progress
A treatment plan/road map provided
Understanding about what therapy is and is not (expectations, boundaries)
Hope the therapist can help
Treatment model/approach/style matches what client concerns need (e.g. you want a therapist who is active, direct, and talks with you vs. someone who nods at you in silence)
Respect for diversity and difference are addressed
The client (you):
Has goals and what they want to work on
Practices skills/learnings outside of sessions
Brings up positive and negative feedback to the therapist
Comes to session consistently on time
Is open to trying new things and ways of relating and thinking
For some people, therapy is ineffective.
At worst, for some people, therapy is harmful and contributes more to stressors and an increase in negative symptoms.
This is why it’s important to do your own research, learn about different therapy models, try therapy out for 1-2 sessions, and determine if it’s a good fit for your needs or if you require something else (e.g. coaching, support group, medication, etc.), or that therapy isn’t useful/appropriate for you at this time.
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To be a professional (follow ethics, confidentiality, respecting your choices/preferences, treat you with respect and kindness, be direct in my communication)
To be open to feedback and suggestions
To be prompt and on time to session
Honest if I can or cannot help you at anytime and provide a referral to another therapist (e.g. if your symptoms don’t get better, if I learn I do not specialize in an area/issue you bring up)
Honest if I notice repeated unhelpful patterns and dynamics occurring and to directly communicate this with you
Predictability and consistency (sessions at scheduled time, notice when I take time off, providing a backup therapist referral should I be gone for longer than a few weeks)
Flexible in my approach (if something doesn’t work for you, I will adjust as needed)
To provide you with a treatment plan or roadmap of what to expect during our work together
To let you know when I think it is best to stop therapy if you have met your goals, plateaued with me, if I’ve lost objectivity, you’re being harmed in our work, or not getting better in our work
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To be prompt and on time to session
To come to session with a general idea of things/concerns/issues you want to discuss/explore/dive into
To be open to trying new ways of thinking and being
To be honest and direct about your needs/wants
To solicit feedback when things aren’t working
To honor the therapeutic boundaries
To do the work outside of session (practice, practice)
To practice patience and acceptance
To tolerate the hard work of confronting uncomfortable and painful experiences (healing is rarely easy and fun)
To let me know when you think you want to stop or pause therapy, or need another type of therapist/therapy style
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Therapy is a highly personal experience.
One person may really benefit from one therapIst, while another person may not.
This can be due to a variety of reasons including: personality. temperament, approach, style, values, cultural fit, and more.
It is your responsibility as a consumer of therapy to find a good fit therapist.
Not all therapists will be a good fit for your needs, concerns, and goals.
You can ask people you trust for recommendations. If using insurance, you can contact your insurance company and ask them for referrals along with your preferences.
Once you have a few therapists you’re interested in meeting with, I recommend setting up a consultation and/or reviewing their websites in depth to get a feel for their practice, personality, and approach.
Use the client’s statements of right (here) as a guide.
If you are unsure after one session, either consider a different therapist or set up a follow-up session to clarify your concerns. Do not feel pressured to stay with one therapist.
There are no guarantees counseling will solve all problems, or how quickly changes will occur. There are no miracle cures, but it improves the odds, particularly if you start early.
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Click here to see if I have openings and clicking on First Telehealth Session (60-Minutes).
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The type of therapy I do requires care, reflection, and ongoing review. Like a musician or athlete, repetition and practice is essential for therapists to improve in areas they are growing in. This is called deliberate practice.
Recording videos is an essential part of deliberate practice. I review videos to see what is effective and ineffective in session. Sometimes, we review sessions together.
Of course, this is optional and you can decline. I follow strict confidentiality guidelines, and videos are regularly deleted.
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Review my website and watch my videos to see if we might be a good fit.
Click here to get started and begin therapy with me.
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