IFS recognizes multiplicity of mind and the concept of core self. Within us is a variety of different parts, or sub-personalities, that exist in distinct ways. Some of these parts might be younger, wounded parts, and other parts might be dominant and protective. In imagining this, it comes naturally to identify with these different parts, maybe saying “this part of me really wanted to do this, but another part of me didn’t want to do that”. Our inner family system has innate healing capacities, and can shift it’s functioning with time to better support the lives we want.

Simply put, trauma can be defined as prolonged distress following a stressful experience. Distress can be emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual. A stressful experience can be a one-time event, or a collection of repeated, traumatic events. Trauma is insidious, complicated, and incredibly impactful for those living with it. I use a trauma-informed lens to not only assess for trauma, but to shape approaches and interventions used. Safety and awareness are the foundation to process traumatic memories, feel unwanted emotions, and make sense of what happened in the context of the present and future of your life.

Therapy does not exist in isolation outside of the society we live in, and it is important that therapists and clients alike acknowledge this. As we navigate your own individual, therapeutic journey, we will bring awareness to societal ideas or messages you’ve received, what it’s like to exist within your own identity, and/or privileges and/or injustices personally experienced. We will empower you to acknowledge that you are a piece of a larger puzzle, and that your voice and actions matter in reversing current injustices and inequalities.

While opportunities for use are becoming more abundant, the importance of mindful and respectful use of these substances remains crucial. I provide education, preparation, and integration services for psychedelics. Proper preparation prior to a psychedelic experience, alongside integration following an experience, is vital to long-lasting change. An experience alone may be incomprehensible or even distressing if there is not space created to gather the insights one has gained and determine the avenues for integration of these insights into one’s daily life. While I do provide support around all psychedelic experiences, I specialize in providing support for MDMA experiences.

The use of drugs is complex and nuanced, and abstinence-only approaches don’t work for everyone. Drug use is highly stigmatized, and the labeling of good versus bad drug use perpetuates harm for many. When using a harm reduction perspective, substance use is viewed as existing on a continuum that is highly personalized to each individual. The aim is to reduce harmful consequences of use. Beyond that, benefits of drug use can be maximized by advocating for the rights of people who choose to use drugs, ensuring drug users have access to education that not only reduces harm, but allows for beneficial and enjoyable drug experiences.

CBT helps us understand how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected. One of the most studied therapeutic approaches, CBT addresses a wide range of issues including anxiety, mood disruptions, insomnia, chaotic substance use, low self-worth, general life stress, and more. CBT aims to shine a light on unhelpful thinking patterns and learned behaviors so we can work to restructure these and feel better.

CPT is a structured, manualized treatment for PTSD. Based in part on CBT, this approach takes place over 12 sessions on average and works to challenge thoughts and beliefs related to the trauma. CPT aims to understand what keeps one “stuck” in PTSD symptoms, and asks what modifications are needed to become “unstuck”. CPT offers many useful tools that can be used in tandem with other approaches, tools that use our thoughts as an entry point to healing trauma.

Used in the therapeutic space, tarot cards use archetypes and symbols as a way to aid individuals in better understanding their inner selves and psyche, as well as individuals’ connection to the collective and the world. Tarot can guide us in directing our focus to one or more aspects of our lives, and with proper reflection can provide insight into areas of improvement or growth. Tarot is an incredibly useful and intuitive tool to move through the therapeutic process.

Taking a somatic approach to therapy entails listening not just to our minds, but to our bodies and systems as a whole. We heavily identify with our thoughts and our minds, and may be unintentionally neglecting the wisdom and healing capabilities of our bodies. Our bodies hold memories, emotions, and experiences, including those that are unresolved. For our own healing and growth, it is important to establish safety and connection with our bodies. Using this approach in therapy looks like mindfully building somatic awareness, bringing curiosity to how our emotions and experiences are felt in our bodies, and dropping in to the body to intentionally release anything that is “stuck” or unresolved.

In taking a spiritual approach to therapy, we acknowledge humans as more than mind and body, including transcendent factors. Exploring non-ordinary and ordinary states of consciousness through music, movement, relationships with animals, nature, art, guided visualization, meditation and mindfulness, journaling, and one’s own spiritual beliefs, allows us to find meaning in our lives and connect to the wholeness of being human. In taking an existential approach to therapy, we explore themes related to life and death, control, freedom, and finding meaning in one’s life.

This theory understand humans in terms of unconscious psychological processes, typically grounded in childhood experiences. Using a psychodynamic approach, one would be curious about how the past impacts the present to better understand one’s identity and make change where desired. In looking at the past, attachment theory can also be used to consider attachment bonds formed with one’s caregivers and how this impacts one’s ability to connect or regulate emotions.