In addition to working with couples, I work with individual adults who are looking for help in addressing relationship patterns, issues with mood, and negative self-concept. My focus is on helping my clients see themselves as worthy and capable of having secure, lasting relationships.
Relationship problems are best addressed in couples therapy, but you might find yourself in a relationship where your partner isn’t willing to do therapy. Or, you might want to address your patterns in relationships even though you aren’t currently in one. I help clients recognize the cycle that develops between our view of ourselves, our mood, and the way we behave in relationships. Once we recognize the cycle, we can consider changing it so we are more effective in getting what we need and want out of life.
My therapeutic approach with individual clients is an attachment-based and experiential form of therapy called Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). EFT is well-known as a highly-effective couples therapy, but it is also highly effective with individuals. In EFT, we look at how we get stuck in negative cycles when we try to push uncomfortable emotions out of our awareness. In these negative cycles, we usually end up getting less of what we want and sending the wrong messages to the people we love.
According to EFT, the road to change is to become more aware of our unpleasant emotions and the important cues those emotions are trying to give us. Yes, even our most unpleasant emotions have a purpose! They give us information about needs and longings that aren’t being met. When we realize this, it’s easier to accept the unpleasant emotions and learn to express them in more effective ways. When we express our emotions effectively, those unpleasant emotions don’t tend to stick around for as long because we have a much better chance of getting our needs and longings met. This leaves us happier, healthier, and better able to meet others’ needs in return.
For survivors of trauma, these negative cycles between mood, self-concept, and behavior are common. That’s partly because trauma changes the way we experience our own emotions. We might learn to trust our fears too much, or we might learn to keep our emotions out of our awareness because they’re too painful. EFT is a very helpful therapy for trauma survivors as long as trauma symptoms are at a manageable level. If your symptoms are too intense, it’s ok. I will help determine whether EFT is appropriate for you right now, and I can offer referrals to other specialists if another form of therapy would be better first.
My Approach
I have advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and routinely pursue continuing education in my specialty areas so you get high quality care. Unless you are looking solely for support, a therapist should be more than a good listener. I see my role as helping you understand yourself better and fostering your ability to change (if you want to). I take my work seriously, and I want my clients to get quality therapy and know that I care about them. Throughout my career, I have worked with clients from varied backgrounds, including at-risk youth, teens who have been part of the juvenile justice system, college students, and veterans.
Sessions
Individual sessions are 60 minutes. In terms of frequency, individuals who attend weekly at the start (vs. biweekly or monthly) tend to have better outcomes, so this is recommended but not required. Individuals progress through therapy at different rates depending on several factors: frequency of attendance, severity and duration of the issue you want to address, openness and honesty in the counseling process, and willingness to practice what is learned in counseling.
Insurance
Please note that I do not accept insurance for individual counseling. Because I specialize in couples therapy, which is not covered under most insurance plans, I have elected not to be part of any insurance panels. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be eligible to have part or all of your therapy fees reimbursed. Click here for further details on cost and ways to pay for therapy.