How I Work
Welcome! I'm so glad you're here.
You may have contemplated seeking therapy for some time and kept talking yourself out of it. You may not feel "sick enough" to deserve help. Your culture may frown upon therapy and so you feel ashamed. You think you should be "strong" and just deal with problems on your own. But, you're also tired of fighting.
In therapy, we will fight together. Struggling with your relationship with food and body image can feel debilitating and make your life very small. Through our sessions, we will focus on building you a life that extends far beyond your obsession with weight, battle over what to eat, and self-destructive behaviors towards your body.
Disordered eating can be tricky, as your mind will convince you that your body or food is the problem, and that losing weight or exercising excessively will solve your issues.
In therapy, we will dig deeper than this. We will work through a psychodynamic framework to explore your unconscious thoughts and feelings that could be driving your obsessions and behavior. We will uncover what is fueling your disordered eating (depression, anxiety, trauma, etc.) and figure out better ways to regulate emotions, rather than act out on your body.
We will also embrace an anti-diet and weight-neutral approach, and get you to a place where your self-worth will have little to do with what your body looks like or what you decide to eat.
For clients seeking therapy for other concerns, I work from a similar approach. Through our sessions, we will gather insight into inner conflicts that are contributing to your distress and break down certain beliefs or narratives about yourself that no longer serve you. We will uncover and gently confront parts of yourself that get in your way and prevent you from getting close to others.
We will also explore your attachment style and delve into the impact of your family of origin on your current self-image and ability to engage in relationships.
Our sessions may also include techniques for sitting with and regulating uncomfortable emotions, rather than turning to food, substances, or relationships to cope.
Most importantly, I practice affirmative, anti-racist psychotherapy. Our sessions will honor the impact of your various cultural identities, experiences of marginalization, and systemic forces that have played a part in your mental well-being.
Together we will cultivate a safe, intimate space where you can become self-aware, access your authentic self, and feel truly seen and validated. Through our relationship, we will work on strengthening your own inner-guide and sense of self. While this may sound intimidating, I can guarantee that we will also laugh together for perspective.
My goal is to help you reach a place where you can honor and trust yourself enough to deal with your challenges, and make decisions that align with your beliefs, values, and goals.
If my approach resonates with you, contact me for a complimentary 20-minute phone consultation so we can discuss your specific goals and how I can best support you. I look forward to connecting with you!