Chronic Pain & Physical Distress

I know how difficult life can feel when you’re fatigued or in pain and it's invisible to the world. It’s a different sort of pain than some people might think of when they think of pain. I have a gentle approach that can help make space for the pain to be felt in a measured and tolerable way, which over time leads to increased tolerance and more room for positive sensations and experiences.

I have worked with individuals who experience frequent headaches, pelvic pain, IBS, or chronic fatigue. If you've seen some of the best doctors and encountered the term "psychosomatic", please know that doesn't mean your pain isn't real, that medical treatments can't be helpful, or that your situation is hopeless; it simply highlights the connection between your mind and body and means that therapy may serve you. Understanding and working with your own nervous system is empowering and can help you feel in charge again. Symptoms may still come, but you can be less overcome by them. In essence, this is pain relief. 

*Note on High Sensitivity

Living with physical and invisible distress is especially challenging for those with highly sensitive nervous systems. When it feels like your body isn't cooperating, feelings of hopelessness, exhaustion, anxiety, and depression are common. Coined by Elaine Aron, a Highly Sensitive Person (often shortened to HSP) is a small subset of the population that is highly attuned to their internal and external environments and may find themselves easily overstimulated. In my view, one does not need to be diagnosed or labeled as an HSP by anyone but oneself. If you are highly sensitive to your surroundings, pick up on what others tend to miss, are expertly attuned to what's going on inside of you and around you, you already know this. That said, normative society does not cater to the highly sensitive person and being such can be a very difficult experience. It also relates to a heightened experience of being unwell or in pain. Therapy can address some of this while honoring your unique aptitudes and way of being in the world. 

Beginnings and Endings

I specialize in the beginnings and endings of relationships, when love can turn a person's whole life upside down -  in the absolute best feeling ways and also in the most disorienting, impossible to understand ways too. If you're navigating the early stages of a new relationship and wrestling with who you are and how independence, dependence, and interdependence come into play, you're in the right place. You also may relate to one or both of the sections below: concerns with intimacy or communication. Likewise, if you're navigating life after the end of a significant relationship, this is terrain I specialize in too. I work with individuals and couples of all genders and sexualities. 

Intimacy Concerns

Intimacy is the most challenging, complicated, and for many, the scariest experience one can have. If this notion speaks to you, therapy is a trusted space to be really honest and process some of these fears and complicated feelings. I help people make sense of what they’re experiencing and what it is they are seeking in relationships. Together, we can uncover new ways to understand and communicate your desires, needs and values so that you can actively enjoy your relationships again. 

Communication Challenges

Whether you're struggling with expressing yourself, feeling misunderstood by others, or finding it hard to navigate conversations, these issues can significantly impact your relationships and well-being. In therapy, we can explore the root causes of these difficulties and develop strategies to enhance your communication skills. By enhancing your ability to express yourself clearly and understand others better, you can build stronger, more fulfilling relationships and navigate interactions with greater ease and confidence.

Wanderlust Dreams

Wanderlust can be a powerful force, inspiring a desire to experience the world in all its richness and diversity. It embodies a deep longing to explore and a yearning for adventure. And sometimes adventure isn't happening and the wanderlust is still there, or you're in the adventure, but maybe feeling unsettled or disconnected. No matter the nuts and bolts of your current life, we can find ways to nourish your adventurous spirit and make space for your dreams and desires.

Study Abroad & College

Starting college is a significant transition, particularly if you've left home to do so. You may not know what's going on yet, but have the sense that you're not in your stride yet, aren't used to living with a roommate or in the dorms, and maybe you're a bit homesick. Maybe you're loving your new independence, maybe you're not. Whatever it is you're experiencing, know it's natural to feel a mix of emotions. I work with students at every stage, but have a niche with first-years, transfers, those returning from abroad and international students.

Moving

Moving to a new home, city, or country can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. Whether you're navigating the logistics of relocation, adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings, or feeling the emotional weight of leaving behind familiar places and people, these transitions can stir up a range of emotions. In therapy, I offer a supportive space to explore the challenges and opportunities that come with moving. Together, we can address feelings of uncertainty, confusion, and culture shock, and anything else that shows up. Through our sessions, you can gain strategies to cope with change, build resilience, and find a sense of belonging in your new environment. 

Existential Thoughts

Existential worries involve deep concerns about life's meaning, purpose, and the inevitability of death. This is a part of the travel section as existential thoughts are a sort of mental travel, a real journey of the mind. These worries can manifest as feelings of emptiness, questioning the significance of your actions, or grappling with the uncertainty of the future. If you find yourself struggling with these profound thoughts, you are not alone. I provide a compassionate space to explore these existential questions. Together, we can navigate these deep questions and concerns and help you discover a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Anxiety

Anxiety is sometimes very obvious and sometimes quite covert. Oftentimes our systems respond to cues we aren’t even aware of, to something that reminds us of something from a long time ago. Usually, there is a ton of information beneath anxiety that is hard to access because anxiety is such an effective defense. But it also can make you feel miserable and out of control. It can also disrupt a family system's equilibrium. I can help you understand your anxiety and connect to your emotions beneath so that you can feel more centered and whole. 

Depression

Depression can be as overt or obvious as anxiety, and relates to feelings of dissatisfaction with life and hopelessness. Many people are considered "high-functioning", able to perform quite well, despite the depth of these feelings. This can mean it takes longer to actually address these feelings and longer to accept them as well. If you have  a lurking sense that you may be depressed or know full well that you are, I can help you. What you're experiencing makes sense and we can get to the bottom of it together. 

Post-Traumatic Stress

Trauma, regardless of its origin, is held in the body. Usually this happens without conscious awareness and impacts daily living in subtle ways. These impacts might manifest as persistent anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, or a general sense of unease. Whether or not the impact is known, these subtle ways can became visible when in a safe-feeling therapeutic space and particularly using somatic therapy techniques. Together, we can help reclaim your sense of safety and wellbeing and integrate an expanded experience of being you. 

Anger 

Anger is an important emotion, but it can become a proxy for many others, which obscures your feelings from others and also often from yourself. In many families, "anger issues" are passed down, especially if anger was one of the only acceptable emotions to display at  home. Anger can be greatly disruptive in relationships and can cause havoc in life. Using emotion-focused therapy, Internal Family Systems, and mindfulness, I can help you (and those you love) feel less blindsided by your own behavior and gain better control of your emotions. When you can choose how and when to express yourself, and know what it is you're really feeling beneath your first reaction, relationships and life in general flow with greater ease.