It is my belief that good therapy happens as we build a trusting and collaborative relationship, where you feel supported, safe, goal directed and empowered. In psychotherapy we become partners in the process of understanding your strengths as you develop the insight and awareness you need to manifest the change you desire. The knowledge gained in therapy is a foundational step toward improving relationships, reducing anxiety and tending to other issues that keep many of us from engaging in life with a sense of purpose, joy and wellbeing.
My approach with couples is informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy, a research based approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, who states that EFT "provides a map to what matters in intimate relationships: how they work, how they go wrong, and what is needed to put them right again", and by the research of Dr. John Gottman, whose "Sound Relationship House Theory" helps couples to strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and the creation of shared meaning". Through these empirically supported lenses, in combination with my own direct and pragmatic style, I challenge couples to develop the interpersonal, and emotional regulation skills necessary to increase empathy, soften the tone and develop warmth and communication in their marriage.
My personal experience with an autoimmune disorder, and my experience of having a child whose chronic health issues were misdiagnosed with serious long term consequences, has led to my passion for counseling young adults with autoimmune disorders, Lyme Disease and other chronic illnesses.