Get treatment for all your mental healthcare needs.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed in 1987 by Francine Shapiro and is an evidence-based modality supported by numerous studies highlighting its effectiveness. EMDR uses rapid eye movements to process past traumatic experiences, making it an incredible tool that goes beyond typical talk therapy and can have profound healing effects.
EMDR allows the brain to facilitate new learning while desensitizing the traumatic memory targeted during the session. Many clients I have worked with experience high levels of activation when recalling their traumatic experiences. With the memory being so vivid, it’s as if they are transported back in time to relive the nightmare of what they went through. After completing EMDR therapy, clients often describe the traumatic experience as though they are looking at an old photograph.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used and studied treatment modalities in the field of psychology. In CBT, the focus is on how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact with one another to create our conscious experience. Life experiences can lead us to form negative core beliefs that distort the way we see the world. For example, you may have experienced childhood trauma that led you to believe, “I am bad.”
When we hold this negative core belief, it changes how we think, feel, and behave in every interaction we have. It will be my job to help you challenge these negative thoughts and change the maladaptive behaviors that result. Once you are able to disrupt these negative thoughts and engage in healthier behaviors, we can begin to form positive core beliefs, ultimately shifting you into a more adaptive experience of the world around you. This process can help reduce the anxiety and depression that has been plaguing you.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was created by psychologist Marsha Linehan in the 1980s. She developed this modality for individuals who experience extreme emotional highs and lows, often leading to destructive behaviors. DBT provides a framework for individuals to lower distress through coping skills, helping them act in accordance with their values and reduce harmful behaviors.
Post Induction Therapy (PIT)
Post Induction Therapy is a therapeutic model used to treat codependency that stems from childhood abuse, enmeshment, neglect, and/or abandonment. Simply put, codependency involves a negative relationship with the self, where someone struggles with self-esteem (feeling less than vs. better than), boundaries (overly vulnerable vs. invulnerable), reality issues (viewing oneself as bad/rebellious vs. good/perfect), containment (feeling out of control vs. controlling others), and dependency (being overly dependent vs. anti-dependent).
In therapy, we will gather a history of your upbringing to identify the trauma that has contributed to your current struggles. We will then use the empty chair technique to help you connect with your inner child and hold your major caregivers accountable for the trauma they inflicted on you. Our ultimate goal is to help you reparent your inner child, allowing you to show up as a functional adult with healthy self-esteem, boundaries, containment, dependency, and a realistic view of yourself and the world.
Art Therapy and Sand Tray
I am trained in the Violet Oakland model of therapy, which incorporates various forms of play and art. In this model, we use a projective process, meaning you will speak as the piece of art you’ve created, rather than as yourself. (If this doesn’t make sense right now, don’t worry—I can provide further explanation in therapy.)
Although this model was originally created for adolescents and children, I’ve found it to be an incredibly valuable tool for adults as well. It helps lower emotional defenses, allowing for more honesty and deeper insights into hidden parts of ourselves.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
SSP (Safe and Sound Protocol) is based on Dr. Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory. It uses filtered music to promote greater nervous system regulation. This improvement in regulation has been shown to enhance and accelerate other therapeutic modalities, such as CBT and EMDR. The protocol is typically carried out over five consecutive days, with one-hour listening sessions and thirty minutes of processing each day.