RESILIENT MINDS
Neuropsychological Testing & Evidence-Based Therapy
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
You may be seeking therapy to resolve a specific issue. Or, you may not be sure why you feel or act the way you do, but know something needs to change. Either way, I will meet you where you are. In a safe and accepting therapeutic environment, we will explore your needs and goals and decide together on the best way forward.
I offer cutting-edge individual therapy to adults needing support for trauma, PTSD, anger, anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessions, depression, cognitive rehabilitation, and relationships issues. I use evidence-based treatments to help you realize the life you envision for yourself. Unlike some traditional therapy, which can last for years and have only modest impact, evidence-based therapy draws upon cutting edge research to harness your brain’s neuroplasticity and create profound, positive changes in your life over a relatively short period of time.
TRAUMA & PTSD
Trauma can occur from a physical, sexual, psychological or emotional assault or threat. Trauma can happen in childhood or adulthood, one time or repeatedly. Many of my clients are survivors of rape, abuse, molestation, and cults. Many others have lived through a tragedy, witnessed or played a role in a wrongful death, survived a terrible car accident, or suffered through a natural disaster. Trauma can also go unrecognized, especially when there's a cost to admitting that a situation was traumatic. This is often the case with a complicated childbirth, challenges in an intimate relationship, or when the trauma occurred as part of doing our job, such as in a hospital, public safety, or military setting. In these cases, we often feel social pressure to "suck it up" or somehow be stronger. Regardless, it's worth it to get help.
Survivors of trauma often experience anger, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, eating disorders, substance abuse, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, invasive memories, emotional numbing, violent outbursts, avoidance, sadness, disconnection, guilt, irritability, hypervigilance (feeling on guard), difficulty sleeping, and reacting to loud noises.
Trauma can rock you to your core, causing you to rethink everything you once knew. Have hope. PTSD and other consequences of trauma are very treatable, no matter how intense the trauma was or how long ago it occurred. The evidence-based treatments I use – including Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy – will help you feel more secure so you can reconnect to your life, relationships, and daily activities safely and peacefully.
ANGER
Feeling overwhelmed by anger can be a painful, lonely experience. Often, it’s those moments when we need connection the most that we end up driving away the people with whom we so desperately wish to connect. Anger can also mask other emotions, and it can be a by-product of trauma, grief, shame or anxiety.
I will help you discover how and why your anger makes sense, and will teach you more effective ways of coping with it and communicating it to others. Anger can be especially prevalent while driving, and I have a specialty in helping people with road rage. I draw from mindfulness-based strategies, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Compassion Focused Therapy to help my clients understand their anger and transform it. I shy away from traditional anger management strategies, which often shame people even more.
ANXIETY, PANIC & PHOBIAS
Anxiety, panic, and phobias can be suffocating. You may feel tense, preoccupied with worry, or experience an elevated heart rate, upset stomach, chronic pain, or headaches. You may live in a way that prioritizes avoiding anxiety, panic, or phobia over embracing meaning and fulfillment. These issues arise when our nervous systems go on overdrive and our bodies fail to distinguish between actual threats and imagined threats. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and mindfulness-based strategies to help my clients learn to consciously differentiate between the two types of threats, soothe their fears, and reconnect to their lives.
OBSESSIVE THINKING & OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Often the most painful experiences are invisible to the outside world. You may feel trapped by nagging and intrusive thoughts that seem to have no “off-button.” Or, you may feel compelled to engage in certain behaviors to a point where they impede on your quality of life.
These behaviors might be mundane, causing minimal disruption to your life, but they can also be more serious, causing harm to yourself or others. At times, these obsessive thoughts or behaviors might feel like a refuge from unhappiness, even when it might be obvious how destructive they are to your relationships and self-concept. Be encouraged; obsessive thinking and behaviors are very treatable. I use both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy to help my clients understand their obsessions and unlock the door to an easier, more comfortable way of existing.
DEPRESSION
Sometimes we go through life feeling as though we’re missing something, like we’ve lost our spark or run out of gas. You may not feel the same satisfaction from activities you used to enjoy. Perhaps you don’t have the energy or motivation you once did, or perhaps you feel completely underwater or hopelessly depleted.
Unchecked, depression can spiral downward in such a way that it becomes more and more difficult to function. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Your mind can transform – literally changing shape through the creation of new, healthier neural pathways – by making even small steps forward. With each step, you can gain momentum and with enough steps, the depression can fade away. I rely largely on strategies from Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Behavioral Activation to help my clients move through depression and build a happier, more meaningful life.
RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
Sometimes we struggle to connect with the people we love the most. You may have a longstanding challenge, or perhaps one emerged upon entering a different stage of your life. It’s common for relationships to change when our circumstances change – be it the birth of a child, a medical diagnosis, a new job, or a move to a different place. It's also common for relationships that once felt happy to turn into something that feels unhealthy. Fortunately, there are several helpful strategies for improving our relationships and our well-being within them. I draw upon Emotion-Focused Therapy, mindfulness strategies, and Non-Violent (Compassionate) Communication to help my clients understand their greatest relationship needs, increase their feelings of empowerment, and learn the skills to communicate more effectively.
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
-Aristotle