We’ll begin
wherever you are.
Group Therapy
We are born into groups and live our lives in groups. Whether we feel deeply connected to family, friends, work environments, or communities, or not, being part of a group is a central part of the human experience. Our first group, our family (however it is formed), has a powerful influence on how we relate to others throughout our lives.
Group therapy offers a unique opportunity to better understand yourself and others while learning how to communicate more honestly and connect more deeply. It is a space to practice bringing your full emotional experience into relationship, with care, curiosity, and accountability.
My groups meet weekly and focus on expressing meaningful emotional content and developing deeper connection with oneself and other group members. Many participants find that group therapy helps them create more authentic, satisfying relationships in their daily lives.
Individual Therapy
People come to therapy for many reasons. Some are healing from traumatic experiences that continue to shape their choices and limit their freedom. Others feel overwhelmed by anxiety or depression and want to understand what lies beneath these painful states. Still others feel stuck and are seeking a skilled clinician to help them see what may be missing.
Therapy is a relationship, one designed to heal. My approach is empathetic, attuned, compassionate, and appropriately challenging. I am skilled at creating a safe, connected space while also inviting clients to face difficult truths and say the hard things that lead to growth. I work comfortably with grief, shame, and trauma, and I consider it an honor to witness people move through darkness toward greater clarity and hope.
At their core, human beings are resilient, confident, creative, and curious. My work is to help you reconnect with that core by identifying and removing the obstacles that keep you from living from it.
I draw from a range of therapeutic approaches, including EMDR and Brainspotting, which are particularly effective for trauma and anxiety. I enjoy working with queer and LGBTQ+ clients, especially those navigating religious or cultural shame related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
As a former law enforcement officer, I bring a deep understanding of the unique stresses and trauma associated with that work. I consider it a privilege to work with veterans, first responders, and others who benefit from sitting with someone who understands the realities of the job.
Sessions are 50 minutes. New clients are asked to begin with weekly sessions. The duration of therapy is discussed collaboratively, though the length of treatment ultimately remains the client’s choice. Online sessions are available 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
Relationships are a vital need for us. 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.