Finding a new therapist is HARD, whether you’ve been in therapy before and are looking for a better fit or you’re wading into the waters of mental healthcare for the first time. In all that’s below, I’ll attempt to give you a window into what it might be like to work together. If you have questions or think it’s a fit, please feel free to reach out to me through the form on my contact page and we can talk further!

I had a professor in undergrad (theater major here!) who talked a lot about the importance of communication. Here’s what she told the group of budding directors: On the first day of rehearsal, when all of the actors and designers and crew members are gathered around the table, count the number of people in that room and figure out how to say the same thing in that many different ways. 

I’ve held onto that sentiment as an artist and have applied it to my work as a therapist. Every person I meet – whether they’re a client or a collaborator – has their own way of making meaning, of understanding the world around them and making sense of themselves in it, whether they’re recovering or integrating the challenging experiences of the past into their idea of the future, gathering information and assessing whether or not it’s useful/moving to them, or just trying to figure out how to relate to people. As a therapist, I consider it my primary task to understand, to the best of my ability, how you make meaning and to reflect that back to you, supporting you when you’re stuck, offering my take when it’s useful, being a safe place to land when it’s hard, and exploring interventions that might help you figure out, a) who you are and what you need today, and b) how you want to move forward into tomorrow. 

Here’s what that actually looks like in therapeutic terms. I’ll share some of my influences, preferred modalities, and regular practices below:

In general, I work from a toolkit that centers anti-racist, trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ centered practice. I’m drawn to modalities that consider the complexity of the emotional, relational and physiological, focusing on the whole person and the impact of broken systems on the human experience. I’m less drawn to modalities that pathologize, or focus solely on cognition. (If you’re looking for CBT, I’m probably not the right fit for you.) My approach is oriented toward the HAES (Health at Every Size) movement and often centers neurodivergence. I am trained in EMDR and NMT (the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, which is a modality for understanding and treating developmental trauma based on its impact on the brain – if you’ve read “What Happened to You” or “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog,” it’s that guy.) I specialize in group work and I LOVE it – I’m a firm believer that growth happens through relationship and in community so will likely encourage you to connect with others as part of your journey, if/when you’re ready. I have exposure to Gestalt, IFS, Humanistic, SFBT, DBT and Narrative therapies, and will often incorporate some of those tools into my practice. 

I’m a big quotes guy and will often try to find some words to keep you company (be they mine or ones I’ve borrowed) if you’re going through something hard or feeling alone or just trying to figure out how to exist day-to-day. I’m also a big reader, music listener, TV/movie watcher and will gladly offer (and accept!) recommendations, if they’re helpful or moving to you.

A note on EMDR: I was trained by EMDR Chicago in 2021 and have been integrating EMDR into my practice ever since. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and it’s a very useful modality for working through trauma. EMDR is unique in that it can be both gentle (there is far less talking and far more letting your brain go where it wants to go while occupying a safe and regulating space) and also quite intense (your brain might go to some challenging places.) In general, I aim to move through trauma work with a huge amount of care, so if you’re interested in EMDR, we’ll ramp up to it slowly and intentionally, checking in as we go to see what feels good. You are always, always, always in the driver’s seat.

Therapy doesn’t exist in a vacuum and neither do I. I’m a multi-hyphenate, as the kids say (do they? I don’t know.) and, in addition to being a clinician, I’m also a writer, playwright, director, theater critic, student, partner, etc. etc. etc. Because I hold a couple of careers – one of which exists in a very public space and the other of which is private – you might see more of me online or on your local stages than you would your average therapist. If that ever feels weird, we can absolutely talk about it. Finding the right boundaries for each individual therapeutic relationship is vital to the success of the work, and figuring out how we might engage with each other as humans who wear many different hats can be a useful place to start building that strong foundation of trust and collaboration.

If you’ve read all of this (thank you!) and you think we might be a fit, please feel free to reach out to me and we can see about a time to connect. If you don’t think this is the place for you, I wish you all the best on your journey, wherever it may take you.