—THERAPY & APPROACH

Healing looks different for everyone.
So does the path there.

What to Expect When You Reach Out

Reaching out for therapy can feel like a meaningful first step, and I want the process to feel clear, comfortable, and supportive from the beginning

1. Scheduling a Consultation

When you email me to ask about services, I will reply with instructions for creating an account in my portal to access my “New Client” calendar, which will allow you to schedule an initial 15-minute consultation.

2. Completing Initial Forms

After your consultation request is received, I will send two brief forms to complete before we meet: an informed consent form that allows us to meet for the consultation and a short questionnaire that helps me understand what you are looking for.

Once the forms are completed, you will receive an appointment confirmation email with the video link for your consultation.

I start the consultation by giving you the opportunity to tell me a little more about what you want to work on. I then can give you a brief description of what I do and answer any questions that you may have. 

3. Beginning Therapy

If we decide to move forward after the consultation, I will send intake paperwork and provide you access to my Existing Client calendar so you can schedule your first appointment.

You do not need to prepare anything special for your first session; we will review my policies, discuss insurance or payment, and talk through confidentiality so you know what to expect.

From there, we will begin an intake assessment, which may take one to two appointments and gives me time to understand your history, concerns, goals, and the kind of support that may be most helpful.

4. Creating a Treatment Plan

Once the assessment is complete, we will discuss treatment options and create a treatment plan together so care is tailored to your needs and goals.

My primary modality is SAFE EMDR, or Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR, and I will explain how this approach may support your work while incorporating other therapeutic methods when appropriate.

My goal throughout this process is to help you feel informed, supported, and clear about what comes next.

5. Session Expectations

Each client is different and sessions are tailored to clients’ needs and goals. 

Typically, sessions are 55-60 minutes long. You have access to my calendar, so you are free to schedule, cancel, and reschedule what is convenient for you. Scheduling weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depends on your needs. 

Structure of a Session:

We start with a check-in, reviewing your week, two weeks between sessions tracking progress, and addressing any urgent updates. In EMDR, this is known as Phase 8 Reevaluation

If doing EMDR we will continue, were we left off from your last session and continue with the Phases of EMDR OR we deep dive on a specific challenge pattern or goal you want to explore utilizing one of the other modalities e.g. IFS, specific somatic issues, specific attachment issues, CBT, Emotional Freedom Therapy, Solution focused etc. and/or practice skills, coping strategies that you can use immediately. 

My practice is focused on body-mind healing in two ways:

Top-Down Therapy (The Thinking Mind)

How it works: Begins in the prefrontal cortex (the logical, thinking part of the brain) using conversation, logic, and reasoning to change how you feel.

Common methods: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-focused, Contemporary Psychoanalytical Therapy

Best used for: Understanding thought patterns, building daily coping skills, solving present-day problems, and managing mild-to-moderate stress or anxiety

Bottom-Up Therapy (The Body and Nervous System)

How it works: Begins in the lower, primal brain and nervous system by focusing on physical sensations, movement, and physical safety before using words.

Common methods: Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, EMDR, IFS, EFIT 

Best used for: Deep-seated or complex trauma where the body is stuck in a constant “fight, flight, or freeze” state and traditional talk therapy has not worked

Beyond Words: Why True Healing Takes More Than Talk Therapy

Why? 

Talk therapy has its place and can be healing but has limitations. Many people achieve a deep cognitive understanding of why they feel a certain way through talk therapy, yet still things are not changing or moving forward. Logic alone cannot override emotional healing. That is why my practice focuses on the body-mind connection because to heal you need to address both. 

For these reasons, I have an integrative approach using bottom-up somatic tools to soothe the nervous system and move out distressing emotional energy and top down allowing the brain to be receptive to lasting meaning-making benefits.

Crisis Calls

I am a clinician running a solo practice, and for that reason I do not take crisis calls because I do not have backup and I am not always available. We will create a safety plan if needed to provide you with resources. However, if you find yourself needing extra support in between sessions, I encourage my clients to reach out at any time to schedule extra support time.

Evidence-based approaches, tailored to you.

I draw from a range of modalities, integrating methods that best fit your individual needs, goals, and history. No two care plans look the same.

---

Somatic Therapy: The body holds what the mind sometimes cannot express. Somatic Therapy explores the connection between physical sensation and emotional experience — particularly effective for trauma and stress.

Attachment Focused Therapy: Our earliest relationships shape how we connect throughout life. This approach explores how early attachment patterns influence your relationships, sense of self, and emotional well-being today.

Internal Family Systems (IFS): Recognizes the different parts within each of us — wounded parts, protective parts, and the core Self. By building compassion between these parts, IFS restores inner balance and wholeness.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identifies the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Reshaping unhelpful thinking patterns leads to healthier, more effective responses to life’s challenges.

Solution-focused therapy (SFT): Directs attention toward what is already working and what you envision for your future. A forward-looking approach that builds momentum and finds practical resolution more efficiently.

Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT): Centers the healing power of emotional experience. EFT helps you access, explore, and transform difficult emotions — building deeper self-understanding and a more meaningful connection with others.