I primarily use a cognitive-behavioral (CBT) approach to treatment. CBT is the gold-standard treatment for many of the most common psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and coping with emotionally difficult events. CBT involves learning to think in more nuanced and adaptive ways in order to combat negative thinking patterns. My practice is also informed by meditation practices, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and somatic, body-centered approaches.

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I will notice if you are judging yourself unfairly, engaging in black-and-white thinking, catastrophizing difficult situations, and inaccurately assessing risk and impending rejection.

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If you are living from your thoughts or you identify as the voice in your head, you are likely in some degree of distress. Our thoughts tend to be distorted and unhelpful. Through strategies we'll practice together, you can start to bring non-judgmental awareness to thoughts and shift away rather than be hooked by them.

 

We will also address emotions together. People generally want to be content but tend to have difficulty tolerating other emotional states. Stress and worry can feel unbearable. Sadness feels like a heavy blanket that you have to fight off. The resistance of normal, human fluctuation in mood often makes things worse. You may distract yourself by maintaining a frenetic pace at work, using alcohol to numb emotional pain, or exercising excessively.

 

We will practice presence, using the breath and body as the focus of attention. As thoughts arise (they always do), you can lose interest in the story you’re telling yourself. Any sensations in the body are “invited in.” What we resist tends to persist, so instead we allow. We discover together that your emotional states are tolerable and temporary.