Who I Help Most With
Clinical Areas I Specialize In:
* Men’s Issues (Anger Management/Confidence): Having researched and written my thesis on current concepts of masculinity and its impact on help-seeking, and perhaps more importantly, from being a man myself, I understand the complex pressures that men face in today’s society. In seeking to uphold the traditional ideals of manhood--based on radical independence, emotional repression, and dismissing health concerns—we isolate ourselves from our most primal sources of connection and vitality. This is a real issue that affects all men to some degree but oftentimes goes unspoken. Creating a space for men to confront their conditioning and find more honest ways of being is a source of my most meaningful work.
-> a copy of the complete thesis on the topic can be found here:
* Chronic Pain: Addressing chronic pain from a mind-body perspective is another passionate area of interest for me, based on my own history of dealing with somatic complaints that were not getting resolved through the typical medical routes of recovery. Fortunately more attention is being given to this growing epidemic, resulting in a number of evidence-based psychological treatment approaches that have proven to be effective with this population. I have incorporated a number of the techniques of these approaches into my personal practice.
* Trauma/Complex Trauma: "Trauma is a fact of life, but it doesn't have to be a life sentence" ~ Peter Levine Ph.D
Every life has been affected by trauma--whether it be acute trauma (singular incident: ie. a big fall as a child, a car accident) or complex (ongoing over time: physical/emotional abuse or neglect by parent, peer, or spouse). These events are traumatic in the sense that they were overwhelming experiences that exceeded our capacity to cope, and as a result, the unprocessed material gets stuck and stored in our bodies. This 'freeze' response can wreak havoc on our nervous system, leaving us feeling either constantly numb, agitated, or fluctuating between the two. As the quote above declares, these symptoms can be treated, through accessing our body's innate healing abilities backed by the latest development in neuroscience, so that you can begin to re-experience a felt sense of safety and aliveness.
I help high-driven over-achievers, chronic caregivers, distant couples, and... just about everyone else
Here are some common reasons people contact me:
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Professionals hitting a Wall: Generally they are adept problem-solvers and proactive in obtaining their goals. However they find themselves stuck for whatever reason; they are feeling blocked either externally (ie.unsupportive work environment), internally (ie.self-judgment, burnout, chronic pain), or a combination of both. I help bring awareness to these to promote resolution.
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Depressed/Anxious Individuals: A common ‘curse’ for the too-nice, or too-accommodating, people can start feeling down, empty, or overly agitated as they plan their lives around others while ignoring their own needs. Symptoms can manifest as emotional (excessive worry/doubt, panic attacks, loss of interests) and physical (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I encourage forming healthy-boundaries and assertiveness training so that they find themselves in more balanced, reciprocal relationships.
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Frustrated Partners: Partnerships thrive on team-work. Oftentimes though the dynamic among couples get strained as trust and effective communication break-down due to a number of reasons. I mediate a returning to intimacy via connecting them to common goals and recognizing the cycles of behavior that keep them locked in old patterns.
Additional Training
* Certificate in Experiential Dynamic Therapy: The Theory and Technique of emotion-Focused, Experience-Near Psychodynamic
Psychotherapy an Introduction (09/30/2020)
* Multigenerational Trauma: Healing the Past to Heal the Present (06/10/2019)
* Certificate in Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems (02/06/2019)