I combine ideas from various individual and family systems theorists, but first, I am an objective observer and mindful partner in the therapeutic relationship. My natural approach is Humanistic, Rogerian, or Client-Centered. It is imperative for each client to feel seen, heard and understood, to trust a sense of unconditional positive regard from me and not to feel judged. Without this important therapeutic connection, minimal progress can be made.

As we establish rapport, each client and I systematically explore critical life events and transitions together by reviewing their unique personal history. Throughout this process, I integrate Bowenian and Attachment-based theories by examining family-of-origin and other early childhood relationships. Our early relationship experiences directly impact the current intimate relationships we choose with romantic partners, peers and even our employers.

In our homes and communities as children, we are utterly powerless.  Like particles of energy, our lives collide, propelling us into gravitational fields we may or may not be able to control.  We bond with what fits, often times with what feels familiar to us, even if at our core we know it doesn't feel right. We do the best we can growing up, often times flaling, as we navigate complex relationships and others' expectations of us. Most of us had minimal  guidance from our adult caregivers and role-models in areas of honest self-reflection, emotional awareness and personal responsibility.  Maybe we never experienced a felt sense of encouragement nor delight in our uniqueness from an adult while we were young. And for those of us who us who did, the likelihood of those constructs being tainted by hints of codependency, at best, is extremely high.

It is almost impossible to trust what we know is best for us, in each of our unique circumstances, when we're constantly trying to live our lives according to expectations of those who have a biased investment in our choices.  But what about all the stuff we can't learn from the same people and the same institutions? What about the the unfamiliar and non-traditional options? What about the fact that our ignorance can indeed hurt us, or at best, hold us back from a higher potential?

It is common, when attempting to reflect inward for the first time, to be flooded with self-doubt, anxiety and frustration. We don't know what to believe or who to trust, certainly not expecting the answers to be within ourselves. We don't know what is possible until we create and experience the lives and relationships each of us uniquely desires.