My Approach
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help people heal from trauma and other distressing life experiences. It follows an 8-phase, 3-pronged model that addresses past events, present triggers, and future resilience. Through guided bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements), EMDR helps the brain reprocess difficult memories, reducing their emotional intensity and creating space for new meaning and understanding.
Rather than erasing the past, EMDR integrates painful or fragmented trauma networks into the brain’s most adaptive and resourced pathways—what I often call the wisest, most resourced self. In this way, EMDR not only relieves the emotional charge of old wounds but also strengthens inner clarity, resilience, and a sense of empowerment. Clients often find that experiences that once felt overwhelming can become sources of growth, self-trust, and healing.
Parts Work (IFS & Ego State Therapy)
Both Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Ego State Therapy are “parts work” approaches, based on the idea that we all have different inner parts—thoughts, feelings, or beliefs—that influence how we think, feel, and act. Sometimes these parts carry past pain or get stuck in protective roles. Sometimes there is conflict between the needs of parts (e.g., a part of me wants this and a part of me does not). All parts are good, but often their intensity and rigidity sabotages their goals. Parts work helps build understanding, compassion, and balance while strengthening connection to the wisest, most resourced self. This process fosters greater self-acceptance, healing, inner harmony, and what IFS calls the 8 C’s of Self (calm, clear-headed, confident, courageous, curious, creative, connected, compassionate).
Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps us understand how the nervous system shapes the way we experience safety, connection, and threat. Throughout life, our bodies store cues of safety and cues of danger—subtle signals that influence whether we feel calm and open, or guarded and shut down. Sometimes, past experiences can “train” the nervous system to stay on high alert, even when there is no current threat, leading to anxiety, disconnection, or difficulty relaxing.
In therapy, we work together to notice and shift these patterns by bringing awareness to the body’s responses. Through gentle practices that engage the nervous system, clients learn to recognize cues of safety, release old survival responses, and build greater capacity for regulation. Over time, this creates a stronger foundation of resilience and connection, allowing the wisest, most resourced self to lead with clarity and ease.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices cultivate awareness of the present moment with openness and acceptance. By slowing down and paying attention to thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment or resistance, clients can begin to transcend stress, regulate emotions, and develop a calmer, more grounded way of relating to themselves and the world around them. Practices such as breathwork, meditation, and stillness are not just tools for relaxation—they are essential in growing and strengthening our wisest neural networks. Over time, mindfulness supports a deeper connection to inner clarity, resilience, and the ability to respond to life’s challenges with intention rather than reactivity.
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Somatic Experiencing (SE) focuses on the mind-body connection, recognizing that emotions and trauma are not only stored in our thoughts but often held in the body. When left unprocessed, this stored tension can show up as physical discomfort, stress, or a sense of disconnection from oneself. Through gentle awareness, grounding techniques, and body-based practices, somatic therapy helps release these patterns and restore a greater sense of safety and balance.
I am currently completing a yoga teacher training to deepen my own practice and passion in this area. This experience allows me to integrate the wise, ancient principles of yoga and mindful movement into therapy in accessible, gentle ways. By attuning to the body’s signals with compassion and care, clients can reconnect with themselves on a deeper level—supporting healing, resilience, and the strengthening of their wisest, most grounded self.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, evidence-based approach that explores the powerful connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Often, unhelpful thought patterns can reinforce cycles of anxiety, depression, or self-doubt. In CBT, we work together to gently identify these patterns and understand how they shape emotional and behavioral responses. From there, clients learn to challenge and shift these patterns, replacing them with more balanced, compassionate, and empowering ways of thinking.
Over time, these shifts ripple outward—creating meaningful, lasting change in how clients experience themselves and the world. CBT not only helps reduce distress but also strengthens coping skills and builds confidence in the wisest, most resourced self to navigate life with greater clarity and resilience.