AREAS WHERE I LIKE TO HELP
As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist my focus is on the relational realm and how relationships, both past and present, impact our lives, our view of the world and shape who we are. Whether I am working with an individual, couple, friendship or family, the foundation of my work centers on our need for connection.
With that said, there are many “problematic” areas that stem from the relational realm that I am passionate about:
SHAME: Shame is a judgment of ourselves that says, “something is wrong with me”. This distorted core belief develops in our younger years, usually in the context of our caregiver’s reactions towards us. This insidious thought not only convinces us that we are unloveable, but affects and drives much of our actions and way of connecting, causing us to hide ourselves and insatiably search for others to love us in ways we weren’t.
ANGER: Whether you feel angry at everything and anything, or find yourself turning your anger inward and getting “frustrated” with yourself, I would love to help you understand the personal meaning of that emotion and guide you in expressing it in a way that is constructive and healing.
LACK OF MOTIVATION AND ENERGY (DEPRESSION): Depression is a state of feeling hopeless and helpless that can zap any joy and drive, and can range from mild to debilitating. However, there’s often a reason. Depression can result from self-judgment, feeling disconnected from others and ourselves, and suppressing anger.
ANXIETY/ANXIETY-DRIVEN BEHAVIORS: Anxiety is one of those feeling states that can be consuming and difficult to work out. Its presence can also lead to the creation of specific, repetitive behaviors as a way to alleviate the emotion, but may unfortunately increase distress. Although it can be a frustrating experience, anxiety is important and carries a message that requires our attention and listening and often reveals underlying feelings and truths for us to connect to.
COMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS: Some may use the term addiction, but I prefer the word compulsion to describe certain all-consuming behaviors that can drive a person. To me, an addiction or compulsion is created out of isolation and a need for connection, to which the person develops an intense attachment to an object or experience to meet such needs.