How I Work

Psychodynamic Therapy
This is also called Talk Therapy. Current problems can be the result of past experiences that affect us subconsciously, sometimes going as far back as childhood. Some difficulties are easily remedied just by figuring out where they come from. Other times knowing every detail about why we are unhappy still does not make us any happier.

Having a non-judgmental person to talk to can often help all by itself. The connection with the therapist by itself can be healing. Research has shown that how comfortable someone feels with the therapist is the single most important factor in whether the therapy is successful.  No matter how good a therapist's techniques are, if a client does not feel comfortable talking about difficult issues not much progress can be made.

Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT
This is a relatively new way of healing many kinds of problem. It is fast and effective for a variety of situations, ranging from unpleasant memories to deeply traumatic experiences. It can be effective for depression, anxiety and fears, inner critics, and a host of other problems. I often use this with clients to deal with the strong emotions that can arise with other techniques. An advantage of EFT is that clients can learn to do this at home.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR
Like EFT, EMDR is relatively new and very rapid way of healing problematic memories and experiences

Meditation
Meditation can be very useful for managing stress in daily life, and can also provide a relaxed mental state for exploring emotional reactions. I start every group with a short meditation, to help the members leave their stressful day outside the room. I also provide clients with a recording of a guided meditation for use at home.

Dreams
Dreams are often useful to find out what our subconscious is trying to tell us, and provide a guide to what material needs to be worked on. I do not believe that there is a single interpretation of the symbols that appear in dreams, because every person may place a different meaning on those symbols.

Guided Imagery
This technique can be useful to create a kind of "waking dream" in which the subconscious tells us what it is important to it. Unlike dreams, in a guided imagery the client can control what the images do, ask them what they mean, and interact with them consciously.

Sand Tray Therapy
This form of therapy allows the subconscious thoughts and feelings to come out indirectly, symbolically, using our feelings as a guide.

Journaling
Sometimes keeping a journal can be very helpful in therapy. Writing down what happens in your life right after it happens can provide better perspective than trying to remember it days later. Dream journals can be especially effective for remembering dreams, because they often fade away soon after waking.

Groups
The benefits from group therapy are different from individual therapy, and it is sometimes useful to do both at the same time. Groups can provide many of the needs that people have while they are focusing on deeper issues with a therapist.

Whatever Works
Many therapy techniques are effective.  I will use whatever I believe is appropriate and effective for any given situation. I find that starting with talk therapy provides a good foundationto build on while using other techniques as necessary, such as EFT, EMDR, and group therapy.