Services
Family Therapy
Family therapy works from the belief that problems rarely belong to just one person—they live in the patterns, roles, and unspoken rules of the whole system. Family therapy can be with children and parents, with the couple, or even with one person.
Understanding your role in your relationships is central. I help you focus on relational practices of honesty, accountability, respect, fairness, and commitment.
Whatever your family looks like, all family structures can raise great kids.
Individual Therapy
Therapy with teenagers is not about getting someone to “own up” to problems. When we explore the why behind a choice, a reaction, or a silence, we begin to understand what it’s doing for you. At the same time, accountability matters. Your actions are choices.
Respect is the baseline of how I work. No matter your age, therapy should feel genuine. You don’t have to show up polished, agreeable, or “ready to change.” You just have to show up as you are.
Group Therapy
Peers are often considered the “second family” of teens. As children grow, the influence of peers becomes greater. We get to start choosing with who we want to surround ourselves.
Group is a way for young people to find their voice during a time the desire to belong and the desire to form a personal identity are clashing. Group gives adolescents a chance to experience bidirectional support, in which they receive and give support. Both elements are important.
When receiving support, young people get to have the lived experience of inclusion. Giving support helps prevent you from becoming a passive recipient. You learn that others’ needs also matter, and belonging to something bigger (to family, to community) enriches the quality of your life.
For certain situations, group therapy is often more effective than individual therapy. These situations include:
- Divorce/Separation
- Experiences of sexual victimization
- Alcohol/Drug abuse in the family
- Limited social skills
The group experience helps with decreasing social stigma and shame, creating real-time opportunities for self-assertiveness, and building trust in others.
Current Group Openings
- Vibe Check: Process group for teenagers
- Breaking Up, Waking Up: Support group for women experiencing divorce & separation
- Mindful Parenting: For parents and their infant/toddler. We utilize mindfulness, observation, and reflection to improve bonding and cope with intergenerational stress & strengths
How can therapy help?
Therapy is not a remedy for all conflicts or life difficulties. A big part of my philosophy is that there are many things outside the therapy room that are therapeutic beyond what’s possible in a therapy session. Therapy does not have to last a long time either. This is, however, very person-dependent and situation-dependent.
One way I can work with you is through combined therapy: I work with you individually and in group (or in some cases, with your family as your group). Combined therapy can make progress faster. I am very mindful that I do not rush your treatment; in fact, you can still meet once a week with combined therapy.
What’s the difference between virtual and in-person therapy?
While there are advantages to both, they are very different. It’s important to keep in mind that virtual therapy might not create the same anxious feelings that come up in us when we physically go into a therapist’s office and leave the comforts of our personal space.
Because of that, we might engage in some avoidance of anxiety without knowing it. There is a lot more information I can gather in-person, and you will also notice more things about yourself too. In virtual sessions, I don’t have the power to control privacy, comfort, and sound like I do in-person.
Seeing yourself virtually can be a distraction and negatively affect your sessions; seeing yourself can also give you feedback about your expressions when you are talking to someone else in a close way. Virtual allows for accessibility.
We can talk about what works for you. Reach out for more information.