We’ll begin
wherever you are.
Group Therapy
We are born into groups and live in groups
Whether we are deeply connected to groups (be it our families, friends, work environments, or our communities) or not, a significant part of the human experience is being a part of a larger group. We are born into a group, and that first group, our family (however that may look), has a big impact on how we navigate and connect in groups throughout our lives.
Group therapy is a great place to understand yourself better and to understand others better, as well a place to learn how to connect more deeply and to communicate more effectively to other individuals and to the group as a whole.
My groups meet weekly and are focused on communicating the significant emotional content of our lives and practicing moving into deeper connection with ourselves and other group members. Members find that participating in group therapy helps them make more meaningful and satisfying connections with people in their daily lives.
Individual Therapy
People come to my office for a variety of reasons
Some are recovering from traumatic experiences that continue to impede them from living the life they want to live and make good choices. Others find themselves out of balance, struggling with anxiety or depression and need to gain a greater understanding of what lies underneath these painful conditions in order to be free of them. Others simply feel stuck and need a skilled clinician to help them see what they may be missing.
Therapy is a relationship, albeit a unique one. It is a relationship that is designed to heal. My style of therapy is highly empathetic, compassionate, attuned, informed, and challenging. I am a natural empath skilled at connection and attunement. At the same time, I challenge my clients to face difficult realities and to say hard things. I track well through dark places and I thrive on guiding and witnessing people move through darkness into their own hopeful light.
Human beings are beautiful, strong and full of light at their core. My work is to help you reconnect with your core and remove the obstacles that hinder you from living and moving from that space.
I incorporate a number of therapeutic approaches that are designed to aid in the healing process, including EMDR and Brainspotting , which are particularly helpful with trauma and anxiety. I enjoy working with clients dealing with LGBTQ+ matters and particularly those who have endured spiritual abuse and shame as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
As a former law enforcement officer, I have a unique understanding of the trauma that often accompanies that type of work. I consider it an honor to work with veterans and other first responders who need to sit with someone who understands the nature of the job.
Sessions are 50 minutes. New clients are asked to meet weekly. The duration of therapy is to be discussed between client and therapist. However, the length of therapy is ultimately the client’s decision.
Online sessions are an option for clients who live or travel outside of Middle Tennessee.
“All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.”
— James Thurber
Couples Therapy
We are made for relationships
Our romantic relationships can be immensely rewarding and intensely frustrating. Often we are frustrated because we feel misunderstood. Our lives are busy and we fall into routines that are unconscious and our relationships suffer as a result.
In the words of renowned couples’ therapist, Esther Perel, “I seek to make each partner more fluent in the language of the other.” Couples therapy with me involves getting to know your own heart better and accessing the emotions that aren’t being properly acknowledged nor conveyed in your relationship. This inevitably leads to greater connection and deeper intimacy. But this is not an easy task.
We all come into our romantic relationships with wounds and unmet needs, and we are, knowingly or not, looking for our partner to fulfill those needs. I help you both gain a fuller understanding of what you bring into the relationship, so you can better understand each other and what wants and needs lie beneath the swirling emotions.
Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. Similarly, the unexamined relationship is not worth the trouble that comes as a result. Your relationship deserves tending to and nurturing. I am influenced by the work of couples’ therapists Esther Perel and Terry Real. I also incorporate aspects of Imago, Gottman, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) theories and techniques into my work with couples. My unique life experience has honed my natural mediation skills which enables me to work well with couples in conflict. I enjoy drawing out the emotions and thoughts below the surface in arguments and I see conflict as an opportunity for greater intimacy and connection.