Areas of Expertise

Psychotherapy

Psychological Evaluation

Comprehensive psychological evaluations are aimed at providing diagnostic clarity and treatment recommendations pertaining to potential concerns including: 

• Intellectual Functioning 

• ADHD 

• Learning Disorders

• Mood Disorders 

• Stress and Trauma related Disorders

• Personality Disorders

Comprehensive evaluations may include assessment of some of the following domains of psychological functioning:

• Cognitive/Intellectual Functioning (IQ Testing)

• Academic Achievement

• Social/Emotional Functioning

• Personality 

  • • Objective (e.g. MMPI-2, PAI) 

    • Projective (e.g. Rorschach Ink Blot, Thematic Apperception Test, Projective Drawing) 

• Executive Functioning (e.g. Attention/Concentration, Impulse Inhibition)

• Visual/Motor Functioning

• Memory

 (*Please note, I am not currently providing psychological evaluation services at this time*)

Therapeutic Approach

"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." - Carl Jung

I approach therapy primarily from a psychodynamic perspective while also drawing from attachment theory, interpersonal and affective neuroscience, existential/humanistic philosophies, and Jungian psychology among other contemporary psychoanalytic and developmental theories. This means that I believe that formative experiences in early life influence current styles of behavior, thought, emotion, and relationship. These patterns in our personality, and the reasons for them, affect the way we experience life and often exist outside of awareness. When we avoid attending to the processes that occur inside our mental lives, a tendency to unconsciously recreate cycles of unnecessary conflict and suffering emerges, which contributes to the manifestation of psychological and behavioral symptoms. Our sessions may involve various techniques such as encouraging you to share freely what is on your mind, highlighting themes of thought and behavior, making meaning of the underlying function of symptoms and behaviors, exploration of dreams and/or fantasy life, and transference analysis (i.e. noticing the relational patterns that you might bring into therapy), all of which can help you gain insight into your unconscious mind and its impact on your wellbeing. By exploring what is happening in the moment, we can learn more about how the past affects who you are in the present. This process can create opportunities for novel ways of understanding yourself and others.  When you come to know yourself more fully, you can also discover the strength of your innate resilience and your ability to create self-directed change. Wholeness and self-agency is cultivated in the context of a collaborative, honest, and attuned professional relationship that is aimed at promoting clarity and flexibility in your patterns of relating to yourself and the world.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”  - Viktor Frankl

Psychotherapy is a process of personal growth that occurs both through self-exploration and experiential learning. Within that process, I strive to create a compassionate, receptive, and responsive therapeutic relationship that promotes reflection, insight, and change. I am here to listen to you with empathy and understanding, and to help you make sense of your past, present, and future. I offer a space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without judgment. Through creating an atmosphere that balances safety and challenge, we will work together to identify and address the root causes of your distress, and to develop healthier ways of coping with life's difficulties. This may involve exploring painful memories, confronting difficult emotions, and challenging unhelpful patterns of thought and behavior. Through this process of discovery, life becomes more satisfying when you gain greater influence over how you experience yourself, others, and the world. With time and effort, you can overcome your challenges, and I am confident that you have the strength and resilience to create a more fulfilling life for yourself.

"We don't so much solve our problems as much as we outgrow them. That is, we add capacities and experiences that eventually make us bigger than the problems." - Carl Jung

If you are interested in learning more about how psychotherapy can help you, please contact me to schedule a consultation. Click here for more information about my office, hours, and fees.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an Evidence-Based Treatment. Click here to understand more about the research regarding the "Efficacy of Psychodynamic Therapy" by Johnathan Shedler, Ph.D.