My Approach to Therapy

I believe that no human is fully knowable by another; there is always more to explore. I also believe in the power of a client-directed, strengths-based approach to therapy. My practice is greatly informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy as well as Cognitive-Behavioral principles. I am especially interested in goals related to identity (re)formation, relationships, physical health, existential questions, self-confidence, healing from past experiences, and coping with challenging daily experiences.

Multicultural Interests:

No two individuals’ experiences are the same, even if their identities overlap. While it is so important to acknowledge how systemic forces shape the lives of people who have non-dominant identities, I believe it is also important to allow space for a variety of individual experiences, opinions, and emotions within that larger context.

Outreach Interests:

My Master’s research project focused on the ubiquitous yet hard-to-define concept of coolness. I am very interested in how social cultures and hierarchies, including those on social media, inform a person’s self-concept. This topic may make one think of teenagers and high school cliques. Nonetheless, these socially constructed realities endure in various forms as we age with continued impact on factors that influence our life outcomes, such as how lonely or socially supported we feel. Accordingly, my primary outreach interests revolve around empowering people to attune to their unique needs and, in turn, to make meaningful connections with others, no matter what the social “rules” say.