Approach

"The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it is not without doubt, but in spite of doubt."

- Rollo May

Bringing more life into life...

I offer a modern, engaging style of therapy. To quote Joseph Campbell, "I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive." My therapeutic intention is to help people bring more vitality into their lives, and my approach is rooted in a philosophy that recognizes the tensions, struggles, and awe inherent in being human. Far from setting out a correct or superior way of living, this therapy honors each person's unique values, wants, and the mysteries and conditions of living. I am trained in this existential-humanistic model of psychotherapy, which recognizes and celebrates our idiosyncrasies, and refrains from reductive analysis or forced methods.

My training and skills pay attention to an individual's deep wants and values. Our work in therapy is to look with curiosity at what is important to you, what is uncomfortable, and how you make decisions that move you through your life. Uncertainty and anxiety are inherent experiences in being human, impossible to extinguish, but valuable to explore. Even states of feeling depressed are not necessarily unhealthy, but can be mined for clues and direction, insight into what small or large change might be a part of the next stretch of your journey. Despite the pressures from society, and the shoulds that nag and haunt us, I have come to trust that we move better and live more richly when we can learn to trust our wants and move from this place. This is no easy thing to do; yet it is a courageous and rich path when we practice this way of being in the world.

Your Questions and Experiences

What do you think is important in this finite time you are alive? What do you want?

Where in your life do you feel anxiety, uncertainty, or doubt? How do you handle it?

How do you make, or struggle with, decisions that shape your life? Do you go in circles or go nowhere?

When do you feel connected and when do you feel alone or apart from others, or from society?

When do you have moments of pleasure, of awe, of feeling very alive?

This type of therapy is flexible and personal, shaped by our collaboration as individuals. It is not dominated by specific protocols or techniques, but relies on authentic engagement and honest observation. Emphasis is on the present and recent experience more than analysis of the past (though information from the past can and does provide valuable context and perception of patterns). There is a deeply felt connection in this way of working, which is powerful in itself, but which also illuminates how we connect with others.