My Approach to Psychotherapy
I believe our early relationships can shape the way we understand ourselves, relate to others, and respond to challenges later in life. With that perspective in mind, I integrate mindfulness and exposure-based approaches with other evidence-based strategies depending on what will best meet each person's needs.
Overview
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How We Start
The first few sessions are focused on getting to know each other while I also conduct a thorough assessment of your symptoms and background. From there I can provide feedback on a treatment plan that I believe best fits your needs and do my best to ensure we align on approach, style, and goals. I value transparency, education, and clarity in my feedback. If I feel someone may be better served by another provider with a different style, I feel comfortable providing that feedback and assisting with referrals.
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Treating the Whole Person
The disorders I specialize in don't occur in a vacuum; there are often depressive symptoms, relationship challenges, and/or unhelpful health behaviors that may contribute to or be affected by psychological distress. I believe effective psychotherapy should consider the whole person—including psychological symptoms, relationships, physical health, sleep, stress, and other behaviors that can influence well-being. Together we will create time and space to explore all areas for growth.
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A Flexible Process
Psychotherapy is also not a linear process. While having a plan is very important, so is flexibility. I find a lot of value in having honest check-ins throughout – Are we on target? Do sessions feel meaningful? What's changing? What are we missing? Do we need to pivot? I believe honest communication and collaboration are more effective than rigidly following a plan simply because it was the original plan.
Treatment Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the overarching psychological framework that guides my practice. At its core, CBT focuses on understanding the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and how these patterns influence the way we experience and respond to the world. With greater awareness and understanding, we can begin to make meaningful changes that align with your individual values and goals.
Exposure-Based Therapies (ERP, Systematic Desensitization, PE)
Under the broader framework of CBT, exposure-based therapies offer a more specialized set of approaches that are particularly relevant to my areas of focus. I rely heavily on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Systematic Desensitization, and Prolonged Exposure (PE) in my work. These approaches have strong research support for conditions including OCD, phobias, panic disorder, and trauma-related symptoms.
I use exposure-based therapies from a collaborative perspective. Together, we will plan intentional, structured behavioral experiences to challenge fear-based beliefs and patterns of avoidance. Rather than waiting to feel less afraid before changing a behavior, we gradually approach what we have been avoiding and learn through experience that we can tolerate discomfort, uncertainty, and difficult emotions without relying on avoidance or other unhelpful coping strategies.
Mindfulness
I think of Mindfulness as a foundational practice rather than a skill that can be perfected. I incorporate mindfulness into treatment for many reasons, but primarily because it provides a different framework for understanding and relating to our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Practicing mindfulness helps us observe something unpleasant (like an intrusive thought) without becoming consumed by it. It creates space for reflection rather than reaction and fosters greater self-awareness and self-compassion. I see both as incredibly useful when working with trauma and anxiety, but also as essential for change and growth.
Telehealth
I provide individual psychotherapy exclusively through telehealth (video sessions). I began offering virtual therapy in 2020, initially with some skepticism about whether it could provide the same quality of care as in-person therapy. Over time, both my patients and I have found telehealth to be highly effective, convenient, and surprisingly personal.
For many of the concerns I treat, particularly OCD and anxiety disorders, telehealth can be especially well-suited to treatment. In fact, research suggests that remotely delivered CBT for OCD is comparable in effectiveness to face-to-face treatment. Exposure-based treatment can also be conducted effectively in the environments where symptoms actually occur, which I find to be a strong advantage of virtual therapy.
Additionally, telehealth has expanded access to care in ways that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Many clients have shared that the flexibility of virtual therapy has removed barriers such as distance, time constraints, transportation, or even the anxiety of walking into a therapist's office. For some, having the option to receive therapy from the comfort of their own environment has made getting help feel more accessible—and finally possible.
If you have questions or concerns about what virtual therapy is like, I'm happy to talk through them with you.