Healing from Trauma
Trauma comes in many forms, including not getting certain core needs met as a child. Trauma work is less about what happened to you and more about how you responded to what happened to you. The impact of trauma shows up in our relationship with ourselves and our relationships with others. We will work on improving these relationships. Simply talking about trauma over and over again has not been shown to be effective in helping people heal. I have several methods for helping people address the chronic anxiety, fear, anger and stuck-ness that can result from traumatic experiences, and I will work with you to determine which approaches best fit you. People dealing with the effects of trauma often feel that they are different from everyone else, and they can carry a great deal of shame and loneliness with them. I am here to walk through a healing process with you – we will take small steps together toward greater inner peace.
Eating Disorders
I take a gentle approach to the treatment of eating disorders that takes into account the secretive and deeply personal nature of such illnesses. Many people have very mixed feelings about getting treatment for their eating disorder – part of them desperately desires to be free from their behaviors and obsessions while another part is afraid to let go. I do not push people past what they are ready for, and I take an individualized approach to each person knowing from my extensive experience that what works for one person may not work for another. Traditional treatments for eating disorders often require weekly weigh-ins and food plans. I do not approach eating disorders in that manner as that can often create new problems for patients. True recovery from eating disorders is in my mind not measured by patients reaching a certain BMI or weight. Rather it is achieved when the voice of the eating disorder goes from occupying your entire house to just living in one closet so to speak.
Mood and Anxiety Disorders
(Bipolar, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders)
Persons with mood and anxiety disorders often have complicating factors such as low self-esteem or a history of loss and/or trauma. I take a holistic approach that incorporates interventions specific to particular diagnoses while paying attention to other factors that impact quality of life. I have extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of these disorders and believe that it is essential to look at how personality factors impact the experience of symptoms and response to treatment. Therefore, I take an individualized – rather than a one-size-fits-all – approach to helping people cope with symptoms so that they can achieve a better overall quality of life. I also often work with patient’s medication providers to add insight to the struggles of each patient so that psychiatrists and primary care doctors have more information when prescribing medications.
Coping with Challenging People or Difficult Relationships
At times, challenges in close relationships can have an impact on every aspect of our lives. Those challenges may include living with someone who has an addiction, a personality disorder, or other problems that seep into your relationship. I will work with you to help you understand how you are impacted, to heal wounds, to understand your loved one, to examine your role in the relationship, and to move forward in setting healthy boundaries where necessary. Many times, just learning to communicate in a different way can have a big impact on the dynamics of a relationship.
Addiction
Addictions are complex in that they involve a substance or behavior that is both pleasurable and destructive. I work with patients to understand their relationship with substances or behaviors and to make changes that allow them freedom and improved quality of life. People often have mixed feelings about recovery, and I aim to meet patients where they are in terms of readiness to change – whether you are still debating whether or not change is right for you or you are fully committed to sobriety. Often times addictions affect family members and healing may require including them in the process.
Elderly Persons
Elderly persons looking to create meaning in their lives.
It is never too late to work on improving your quality of life, yet creating such changes can be especially challenging when activities are limited, relationships change or end, and physical illness manifests. I am especially sensitive to these changes in the elderly and will travel to nursing homes or assisted living facilities to bring empathy, companionship and humor to the elderly. I also work with elderly who have limited capacities as a source of comfort and companionship. Often family members can be overwhelmed when their parents enter this phase of life, and I can bring comfort to you knowing that a professional is regularly checking in on your loved one.
Parenting Guidance
Being a parent is perhaps the most rewarding yet difficult challenge that we face in life. As a parent myself, I have often found that I go along fine until something stops working well, at which time I seek guidance to change my strategies of interacting in order to get things back on track. I am here to be that guidance for you when things seem to be going wrong or the challenge becomes more stressful than rewarding. There is no shame in asking for help! We all need it! I am also here to guide new parents in effective parenting strategies for raising confident, mentally healthy and resilient children.
