The Work We’ll Do

My approach to therapy continues to be informed by the sociological lens. When we see humans within the broader contexts that shape their lives, like family systems, culture, relationships, and social expectations, it makes sense that we struggle to fit into every single cubby box that people have assigned to us at every single developmental stage in our lives. In my work, I use Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, a depth-oriented approach to therapy that helps people understand how past experiences, relationships, and unconscious patterns influence their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors today. Rather than focusing only on reducing symptoms, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Narrative Therapy—in conjunction with weekly reading and journaling—seeks to uncover the underlying causes of emotional distress, allowing for deeper and more lasting change.

In therapy, folks are encouraged to explore recurring patterns, relationship dynamics, emotional reactions, and internal conflicts with curiosity rather than judgment. As these patterns become more conscious, folks develop greater self-awareness, emotional freedom, and the ability to make choices that are more aligned with their values and authentic sense of self. Psychodynamic psychotherapy offers a thoughtful and collaborative space for individuals seeking not only relief from anxiety, depression, trauma, or relationship difficulties, but also a deeper understanding of themselves and meaningful, lasting personal growth.

Narrative Therapy is a collaborative, strengths-based approach that recognizes people are not defined by their problems. Narrative Therapy is founded on the belief that the stories we tell about ourselves shape how we understand our identities, relationships, and possibilities for change. Together, we can explore how these stories have developed, identify the influence of cultural, familial, and societal messages, and examine whether these narratives continue to serve the person's values and goals. Rather than viewing the individual as the problem, Narrative Therapy externalizes the problem, creating space for curiosity, self-compassion, and new perspectives. Through this process, folks are supported in reconnecting with their strengths, resilience, and preferred values, allowing them to author new stories that reflect hope, agency, and a more authentic sense of self.

Over time, this integration supports a shift from shame-based identity to a more flexible and empowered sense of self. You’ll begin to recognize that you aren’t defined by your trauma or your survival strategies, but by your capacity for awareness and choice. Used in conjunction with each other, you’ll move from “This is who I am” to “This is a story I learned—and I can relate to it differently,” opening space for new ways of being, relating, and understanding who you are.

As a clinician, I utilize the use of tarot and cards only as a projective and symbolic tool for those interested in . Now, maybe you’re wondering, “are tarot and oracle cards in therapy the same as a psychic reading?” The answer—the only answer—is no. What we see is projective imagery—the cards are prompts that lack defined meanings. Just as people see shapes in clouds, projective tools help capture inner thoughts and feelings that people can externalize, lay it all out on the table as it were. This process encourages reflection, meaning-making, and narrative development, all of which support emotional processing and growth.to help you describe your current internal state, not to tell your future. You retain complete control over your story. The archetypal imagery found in these cards reflect universal human experiences like challenge, growth, loss, resilience, and connection. Similar to other expressive or reflective practices in therapy, archetypal imagery provides a safe, symbolic space to explore these patterns in a way that goes beyond words, offering visual and emotional mirrors that can reveal hidden parts of yourself, spark insight, open curiosity, and explore identity in a non-shaming way. This creates space and language for you to understand your story and, more important, room to grow within it.

How Archetypal Imagery Functions in Therapy

Let’s say, for example, that you decide that you’re interested in exploring this archetypal imagery that I’m saying connects Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Narrative Therapy and you’re wondering what kinds of questions you could possibly ask yourself when looking at the cards that you pull from the deck. I’ll answer that question right here:

So instead of asking yourself, “What’s wrong with me?! Why can’t I just _____”, or “No matter what I do, I can’t stop feeling like ______”, or “I’ve been furious about ______ for ____ years, and I can’t move on!”, we might explore questions like:

“What part of this image feels familiar?”

“What do you notice in your body as you look at this?”

“What might this figure be experiencing or protecting?”

Questions like these make emotional hurdles feel a little less impossible to clear. The unclimbable mountain of trauma a little easier to scale; the wind that carries our ship from the doldrums. When we safely externalize and examine difficult patterns instead of identifying with them, we reduce shame and self-criticism and access insight that may not otherwise have emerged through words alone.

This integrated approach allows us to work simultaneously on embodied awareness—your ability to become more attuned to your emotional and nervous system responses in the present moment while making meaning of the origins of your patterns—and the beliefs that sustain them. All while you explore new ways of understanding yourself, beyond limiting or inherited stories. And, as you continue to show up with mercy for yourself, you’ll feel less stuck in repetitive patterns, relate to yourself with more compassion and curiosity, and experience greater choice in how you respond to yourself and others.

I approach the work that I love with the belief that your patterns make sense in the context of your life. Rather than focusing on what is “wrong”, we’ll explore how the coping skills that once served to protect you may be showing up now in ways that no longer honor who you are now. Using both grounded therapeutic models and symbolic exploration, we’ll create space for you to understand yourself more deeply and connect with parts of yourself that may feel hidden or misunderstood. Through this process, you’ll begin to relate to yourself in ways that feel safe and supportive.