How I work
While I tailor therapy to each individual client, below are the approaches from which I draw most frequently.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR is one of the most extensively researched treatments for trauma available today. It works by engaging the brain's natural ability to process and integrate difficult memories — using bilateral stimulation to help the nervous system "unstick" memories stored in a raw, unprocessed state.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to narrate your trauma in detail. Many clients find that memories which once felt overwhelming lose their emotional charge after EMDR processing, without losing the factual memory itself.
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Developed by Richard Schwartz, IFS is built on the premise that we are not one unified self, but a system of inner parts — each with its own perspective, history, and intention. Some parts protect us and some carry old pain. Some are running the show in ways that no longer serve us.
IFS invites you to approach each part with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment — because at the core of every person, beneath all the parts, is a Core Self that is inherently wise, calm, and capable of healing.
Rooted in the tradition of depth psychology, psychodynamic therapy explores how your past — particularly your early relationships and experiences — shapes your present. It focuses on the source of your symptoms and pays attention to patterns: the ones that show up in your relationships, your work, your inner life.
This involves the recruitment of your “noticing brain.” It has a direct connection to your limbic system (emotional brain), which means it can change trauma-related activity. When you turn on your noticing brain, you reduce activity in your emotional brain, therefore training it to be less reactive.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
CBT is one of the most widely researched forms of psychotherapy. It works on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — helping you recognize the patterns of thinking that drive difficult emotions, and explore whether those thoughts are as true or as fixed as they feel. CBT tends to be more structured and skills-focused than some other approaches, which some clients find grounding.
Somatic therapy is built on the understanding that the body and mind are not separate systems. Our nervous systems hold the imprint of everything we've lived through. Stress, trauma, and unprocessed emotion don't just live in our thoughts and memories — they live in our posture, our breath, our chronic tension and our gut.
Somatic therapy brings attention to these bodily experiences as a pathway into healing. Rather than only talking about what happened, we notice what is happening right now in the body — and work with that directly. Many clients find that this accesses places that are usually hard to find, particularly when words feel inadequate.
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)
Originally developed by Marsha Linehan for people experiencing intense emotional pain, DBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices. It is organized around four core skill areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your emotions — or find yourself swinging between extremes — DBT offers concrete, practical tools for finding steadier ground.
PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy)
Developed by Dr. Stan Tatkin, PACT is an approach to couples therapy that draws from three pillars: attachment theory, arousal regulation, and the neuroscience of how our brains function in relationship. It's built on the insight that we are deeply wired for connection — and that many of the most painful patterns in our relationships are nervous system responses rooted in our earliest experiences of being close to another person.
PACT sessions are active and experiential. Rather than simply talking about what went wrong last Tuesday, couples work in real time — noticing what happens in their bodies and voices as they interact. The goal is to build a “couple bubble” — a secure bond in which both partners feel seen, soothed, and safe.