Services & Fees

Internal Family Systems, also known as "parts work", is an evidence-based therapeutic approach developed by Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. Schwartz noticed his therapy clients talking about various parts of themselves that often had conflicting feelings or beliefs. He also noticed that each client had an unwounded, calm, curious, and compassionate essence, the Self. One of the goals of IFS is to help individuals experience their own Self-energy. Schwartz's book No Bad Parts is a great resource if you'd like to learn more.

In the mid-1990s, the CDC and Kaiser completed a groundbreaking study about the long-term effects of childhood trauma. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found that nearly two thirds of study participants had experienced at least one adverse experience (such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, or substance use in the home) and nearly one in five participants had experienced three or more. Read more from the CDC by clicking here.

I like providing basic education about the brain during therapy sessions, because it typically helps clients feel "less crazy" when they know that their brain is just doing what it knows to do. Neuroplasticity is the brain's amazing ability to adapt and change over time. Even if we are used to thinking a certain way or are stuck in old habits, the brain is capable of changing. Click here to watch an easy-to-grasp 2-minute video explaining neuroplasticity.

Mindfulness is comprised of two parts — awareness and acceptance. Awareness is one's ability to tune into the present moment and notice his or her internal emotional/physical experience. Acceptance is the ability to withhold judgement and not label the experience as good or bad. Mindfulness has shown to be effective at reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Meditation is a practice that can be used to help one cultivate mindfulness. I often encourage clients to try the app Insight Timer.

Why is it that we tend to be so much kinder to those we care about than we are to ourselves? Many people have an internal dialogue that can be rather unkind. When we can harness the compassion that we innately give to others, we can turn it inwards, recognize our humanness, and be a little easier on ourselves. This does not mean self-pity — It means befriending our inner self instead of beating it up. See how self-compassionate you are by taking Dr. Kristin Neff's assessment here: Self-Compassion Assessment.

Attachment theory, first presented by John Bowlby in 1952 and further researched by Mary Ainsworth, looks at the type of attachment a person had to his or her primary caretakers in the early stages of life. Attachment can be classified as secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized. The quality of this attachment has lasting impacts on one's relationships in adulthood. To learn more, watch this short animated video about "How Childhood Affects Life”.