Trauma is any event or series of circumstances which are too much, too foreign or too painful to move through our systems as they currently stand. So these images, sensations or a general hyper-arousal are stuck inside us and inform our whole existence. I work slowly but persistently to stay with-in the window of tolerance to expand that system’s capacity and create a more roomy and allowing working model so that the stuck pieces can release and move through. I use a combination of modalities including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

I usually begin by using a powerful yet gentle model that works with in the window of tollerance a client already has called Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) to help uncover your own innate healing mechanisms. AEDP is a “bottom up” therapy, meaning that insight is the result of a transformational experience, not the other way. This is a newer kind of therapy compared to more traditional therapies where insight or understanding is intended to create transformation. Experiential therapist are expanding largely due to neuroscience which is showing that “top down” therapies are not as effective, that true change more naturally occurs in the “bottom up” direction. I have heard many people say “I understand what happened to me, but it hasn’t changed how I feel”. This phenomenon is what AEDP addresses.

This innate healing capacity is known as resilience or “Transformance Drive”; or our inner strength and knowing. These are the internal hardwired forces with-in us that strive to heal, that want to naturally right the wrongs, that persist in trying again. My job as a therapist is to help uncover and utilize this innate healing capacity. It is based in our emotions which have their home in our bodies. We all have 5 core emotions: anger, joy, sadness, fear and disgust and each of those emotions has an “adaptive action” or innate urge which moves us toward healing and survival. Your body already knows the way through to a safe space and I am there to help unveil that path and walk along side, to accompany you in what was once too unknown or too overwhelming to do alone.

I then move to more intensive models like EMDR or IFS which are very powerful and tend to give relief and clear trauma much more quickly but can be overwheming and very intense especially if you have not had much therapy in the past or have been able to successfully clear much trauma or form a secure bond with a therapist before. However, these modalities are sometimes the best place to start when other therapies have not been successful. My approach to each human is a collaboration and a unique tayloring to that clients preferences and nervous system readiness.