Real Relationship
Since working with my first client, my clinical approach has evolved to focus more on emotions and the body, or what is known as somatic therapy. What has never changed is my dedication to helping clients achieve the best possible outcomes. As a provider my approach is unique in that it is informed personally by my engagement with the recovery community, by my experience as a public health professional, and my trauma focused work often integrates experiential therapy, which can have better results than traditional talk therapy alone. The evidence-based framework that has informed my practice the most is called the Contextual Model. It says that optimal outcomes – a reduction in clinical symptoms and an enhanced quality of life – occur when a client and counselor:
- Form a real relationship
- Mutually agree on the focus of therapy
- Utilize evidence-based practices
At the onset of my career, I spent a lot of time talking with clients and less time attuning to their emotions. Today I understand that the most important ingredients in building a real relationship in therapy include emotional connection, empathy, trust, and me being myself. If you decide you want to give therapy a try, know that I will put our relationship at the center of everything we do together.
Expectations
I ensure therapy expectations are aligned by helping you better understand the problem for which you are seeking help, and matching it with the best solutions available. Here my personal experiences in the recovery process and background in public health help me identify strong leverage points for change that are often missed in traditional models of therapy.
You should also know that I am not a fan of diagnoses, labels, and pathologizing every challenge that surfaces in life. While I embrace the value of using validated criteria to characterize problems that have clear links to evidence-based interventions, I take a broader view of behavior and believe much of what we do is adaptive, even if how we go about adapting is not that healthy.
Interventions
To help clients reduce clinical symptoms and enhance the quality of their lives, I practice a client-centered approach focused on authenticity, connection, and meaning-making. This means I believe therapy to be an equal partnership that is very genuine, empathetic, and free of judgement. Ultimately, evidence suggests that the relationship we build together will have a greater positive impact on your health outcomes than any particular intervention we decide to practice. However, if you’re curious to learn more, some of the therapeutic theories, techniques, and themes that inform my practice include:
- “Unconditional Regard“ –Centered
- “Meaning Making“ –Logo Therapy
- “Understanding” –Harm Reduction
- “Connection” –Attachment Theory
- “Authenticity” –Polyvagal Theory
- “Experience“ -Adventure Therapy
- “Motivation” -The Transtheoretical Model
- “Structure“ -Cognitive Processing
- “Relationships” -Gottman Institute
- “Reflection” -Dimensions of Wellness