My approach to therapy is inseparable from all the modalities I’ve ever learned, studied and practiced (and continue to learn, study and practice). It’s also hard for me not to see patterns and similarities among them, making it difficult at times to distinguish exactly where the technique of one modality ends and another begins.

I really delight in the fact that there are so many similarities among modalities. To me, it shows that there is a deeper truth running beneath the surface, a sort of template of how to be a healthy human and how to navigate life in a way that promotes growth and meaning. If you know the general principles of what is helpful and what is not helpful, you come away with more agency about applying those principles in a way that works best for you.

It’s impossible for me to faithfully stick to one type of therapeutic approach in our sessions. Rather, I welcome you into the process of doing “the work” with me, which means you learn to identify where you get stuck in life and we bravely explore those uncomfortable places to get you un-stuck. And being un-stuck doesn’t mean you feel good all the time and get all the things you want; it means you are willing to look at your life from a different perspective and take radical responsibility for being the authentic human that you are.

I also want to note that I am not trying to put down or criticize the approach of sticking to one modality in therapy sessions. Going deep in one area will absolutely lead to insights and understandings and change. That’s the beauty of any of these approaches; they will all give you something really spectacular when you dive into and embrace them.

There is just something about the way I learn and process information that makes it easier for me to weave approaches together via their similarities and larger truths. It’s hard for me to hear “unblending” in Internal Family Systems Therapy and not think of “defusion” in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (essentially, the practice of unhooking ourselves from completely identifying with our thoughts).

Similarly, both of those approaches talk about finding witness consciousness, which is something spoken of in spiritual texts and related to spiritual development. Many communication techniques, like Non-Violent Communication and the relational techniques in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, describe the value of validating other people’s emotions rather than trying to fix or change them.

And rather than focus on the techniques themselves and which modality they come from, I want you to understand the reasoning and principles behind them. I want you to leave our work with a better understanding of how to navigate your mind, heal from the past and confront new challenges that inevitably come up in life.