Styles of Therapy
There are certain types of therapy (called modalities) that are clear winners for specific disorders. For example, OCD should often be treated with exposure response prevention.
At the same time, I believe that each person is unique and will enjoy certain styles more – and that may change as the person changes. I do my best to adjust when I can, while staying rooted in what I'm trained in.
Interpersonal
I practice from an interpersonal stance. This means I focus a lot on our relational dynamics.
Strengths-Based
I believe we all have strengths, and therapy too often only focuses on the problems. I do my best to help you identify and leverage your strengths to make changes.
Gestalt
This focuses on the physical experience and helps those of us who are stuck in our heads get out of our heads. For people who often try to outthink their problems, this is a good antidote.
Internal Family Systems
Think "Inside Out" the movie. I use the concept of us having parts-that-make-a-whole to reintegrate old patterns and learn to better understand - and love - yourself.
Narrative Therapy
This is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a creative overlay. Much of my career has involved storytelling and creativity, so I naturally gravitated to this modality. It's considered "evidence-based" which means there is significant research supporting its effectiveness.
Education & Licensure
I have a masters in psychotherapy and counseling from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. My supervisor is the wonderful Dr. Mary Wandrei, Ph.D., LP.