My Framework: Stories, Belonging, and Safety

What Sessions Look Like

Therapy with me is active and conversational. My approach is collaborative and client-led. The purpose of therapy is to have an affirming place to safely challenge yourself to grow in ways that are defined and determined by you, or to explore (and celebrate) aspects of yourself or your experience that you feel need attention. You are the expert on you (yes, even if you’re feeling lost or unsure). With that in mind, my style is active and engaged. I see us on a journey, together, led by you. 

We look at how your past experiences, current environment, and broader social structures impact your day-to-day well-being, while focusing on building concrete strategies you can use outside of sessions.

While I draw from specific clinical tools, my practice is guided by two overarching perspectives: a narrative focus and an existential framework, always grounded in a trauma-informed approach.

Being trauma-informed means I prioritize physical and emotional safety, choice, and transparency in our sessions, recognizing how past trauma can impact your present-day well-being and nervous system.

Through a narrative lens, we look at the stories you currently tell about your life and how they shape your experiences. We evaluate whether those stories are still serving you, and focus on the work of telling new ones moving forward. Woven into this is an existential approach that looks beyond individual purpose to focus on your sense of belonging—how you connect to yourself, your communities, and the world around you.

Clinical Approach

Because no two people face the exact same challenges, I combine elements from several established therapeutic frameworks depending on what you actually need:

  • Narrative Therapy: To examine the stories you carry, evaluate their impact on your life, and actively reshape them.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): To identify thought patterns that keep you stuck, learn concrete coping strategies, and build skills for emotional regulation.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS): To explore the different, sometimes conflicting parts of your internal life.

  • Existential & Humanistic Therapy: To clarify your values, navigate major life transitions, and build a deeper sense of belonging and purpose.

  • Motivational Interviewing: To connect with your existing strengths and build momentum toward the changes you want to make.

  • Mindfulness: To learn how to anchor yourself and find mental clarity when things feel chaotic.