My Approach

I am a somatic relational therapist. I work with people who have experienced relational harm and are now experiencing relational distress, either with others or with themself. 

I have participated in three post-Master's training that have taught me how trauma reshapes our neurophysiology, how it retools our capacity for learning and growth and rewires our capacity for connection to self and others. 

These are: EMDR, Somatic Experiencing (SE) and NeuroAffective Touch (NAT). 

Each method aims to support the nervous system to renegotiate overwhelming experiences from the past in the present moment to restore what I believe is our birthright; a sense of connection, ease, aliveness and joy. 

Both SE and NAT also offer the use of supportive touch.

Trauma rarely happens in a test tube and includes at least two (or more) people. Thus, the terms relational harm and relational healing and repair. I've learned my relational skills from my mentor and supervisor who is a Relational Gestalt therapist. Gestalt therapy is quite curious about what is happening in the now and what we (meaning me and you) are doing that helps or hinders you on your path.

In conjunction with my clinical training, I have extensive training in the self-cultivating arts of traditional Hatha yoga and meditation practices. Why is this important? Well, it is important because ultimately trauma acts as a disconnector and healing comes in the ways in which we learn to reconnect to ourselves, others and society. 

Yoga is one avenue for reconnecting body-mind and in this way is also a meditative practice. Both yoga and meditation have been shown to restructure the brain in a way that can lower emotional reactivity and aid in higher brain functions. By calming the emotional centers of the brain (limbic system) we gain greater access to the parts of the brain that aid in discernment, critial thinking, planning, organization and more (prefrontal cortex).