SERVICES PROVIDED
I work with clients around a variety of concerns, including:
Anxiety & stress
Sadness & depression
Gender identity
Sexuality
Addiction & recovery
Attention issues
Trauma
Grief & loss
Relationship issues
Family conflict
HIV/AIDS
Asylum & immigration
Career goals
Life transitions
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
A Therapeutic Alliance
Our work together will aim towards building on your existing strengths, which will serve as our main tools in addressing certain challenges. We will focus on the solutions to these concerns so that you can begin to bring the change into your life that you are seeking. Change and healing can be messy, and sometimes painful. You will not always leave therapy “feeling good,” but through our process of working together, you will begin to establish a healthier connection with yourself and those around you. I work within a CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) frame, which acknowledges the strong connections within the triad of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By learning mindfulness techniques, you will build awareness and acceptance around these thoughts and feelings and learn ways to cope with them. Sometimes there will be homework assignments that often include some writing and reflection. These are designed to continue and expand on our work together outside of regular sessions. The effectiveness of therapy is often based on the quality of the connection between therapist and client. To that end, our work is relational and we may spend time discussing aspects of our therapeutic alliance.
COUPLES THERAPY
The Relational Entity
My work with those who are partnered (most often couples, but sometimes larger groups of folks) revolves around the notion that there are multiple realities within a relationship - the separate realities of the individuals plus the reality of the relational entity. Through our work together, we will closely explore the shared relational entity within which each partner has taken a distinct role. By beginning to bring language to this entity, we can slowly begin to see the gaps that might be causing dissonance and pain. Just as in my individual work with clients, there will often be homework that will require the equal participation of each partner. These assignments are meant to challenge individuals to take new actions, which will then begin to alter the reality of the relationship and bring it to a place that is more satisfying and fulfilling. When new problems or issues arise, partners will be able to rely on the new techniques and language to bring meaning into the disagreements instead of reacting to them as they previously had. Through this new shared vocabulary, the couple will begin to engage in new ways that fosters a deeper connection and understanding.
LGBTQIA
Exploring Individual Identities
As both a cisgender gay man and a therapist who has worked with lesbian, gay, gender non-conforming, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) folks for many years, I have learned the importance of providing individuals the space to define their own identities. Some people choose to identify in certain ways, and others choose to never identify. Through the course of our work together, you may discover aspects of yourself you had not been in touch with for many years, or that you did not even know existed. Many of us have suppressed or repressed our desires due to the painful effects of living in unaccepting societies and experiencing trauma. Some of us learned that in order to survive, we needed to produce an inauthentic self that would be acceptable and not rejected. What we did not know at the time, is that authenticity is the kernel of our lives and the closer we get to it and live in it the more we will be able to love ourselves, enjoy our lives, and be present with those around us. Our work together will begin wherever you are on this journey.
Contact me to set up a free phone consultation.