A place for YOU…
I work with a handful of male clients with whom I have deep, long-term, productive relationships. I look forward to seeing them, and I feel proud that they make time to invest in their selves. We address their presenting concerns in multiple ways, including active assessment of how unrealistic societal expectations of men may be contributing to their distress. These guys are my heroes.
However, my practice is mostly comprised of woman. And that’s important to me. Something is happening in the world right now. Women are activated. They are re-assessing. They are making very, very courageous decisions that do not fit the personal narrative to which they’ve subscribed for so many years. They are seeking out their wildness, yearning for desire. They are choosing themselves above the comfort of others. This is deeply exciting to me. In fact, I think, the more women can accept all parts of themselves and routinely be making choices that come from their deepest knowing instead of others’ expectations of them, the better the world gets. Literally, the world.
The therapy room can be a place to notice, practice, and fortify this work. In session, I take the position of curious, enthusiastic advocate; the client is the expert on their struggle. I pose challenging questions and wonder aloud about certain parallels I notice or about how it might feel to newly acknowledge certain aspects of self. Like with my work with men, we discuss institutions (ie: racism, patriarchy, capitalism) that oppress and how those messages may have been internalized. The goal: the more questions are explored, the more we hear the client’s clarity, paying attention to the consistency in their fundamental ideas and practicing the art of taking up space unapologetically. I have watched as a woman goes from operating from a stressful framework of learned perfectionism and people-pleasing to fully embracing complex, dynamic self—finding freedom, connection, and a sense of grounded ness. And that’s often all it takes, loving and committed inquiry to uncover the wisdom that’s already there. Regardless of the presenting challenge or which model of therapy we’re using, I employ this philosophy of respect, activism, and empowerment.
I invite you to look around this site. If you have a question that is not answered here, don’t hesitate to email me!