About the Work I Do

I work with adults ranging in age from their 20s to 80s. Often they come in with complaints of depression and anxiety, or feeling “stuck” and unable to make changes in their lives. Some know they have trauma histories that are impacting their present day lives and are ready to process that. Additionally, I enjoy working with women who are pregnant or postpartum or even have lasting struggles with their previous pregnancies and/or childbirth experiences.

I use tools like EMDR, HeartMath, attachment focused work and somatic awareness tools. I am trauma informed and use the results of the ACE study to guide how I work with clients. I have a client-centered, strength-based approach. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT, for the cognitive work we do.

What does that mean though?

Client-centered means that counseling / therapy (I use those terms interchangeably) goals are determined by the client. I help in formulating goals. Sometimes clients come in with the desire to improve their relationships with their children or spouses. I help in tightening down exactly what that means. Others feel like they are “stuck” or they want to make changes in their behaviors when they experience depression or excessive anxiety or stress. Parents are another group I work with. At times they want to parent differently, but don’t have the tools to be more effective with their children. Or they may find that past trauma interferes with their ability to be flexible and to have choices.

Strength-based means that I look for and focus on what strengths clients bring in. I know we are wired to heal. I believe we all have within us strengths to do that. At times, we just haven’t learned enough tools to use those strengths effectively.

The tools that I have been trained in and use in therapy are varied. Each treatment plan and approach is designed to fit best with who you are and what you need. We explore together how to work to obtain your goals.

My approach to trauma treatment is to integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment-focused EMDR, and clinical hypnotherapy,  that reflects a holistic and well-rounded model that takes into account both the psychological and physiological aspects of trauma. Here’s a deeper look at how these components work together in our three-phase model:

1. Safety, Stabilization, and Resource Building:

  • ACT Focus: The first phase of trauma treatment in ACT emphasizes psychological flexibility, helping clients develop mindfulness skills and acceptance of their internal experiences (thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations) without judgment or avoidance. This lays a foundation of safety and emotional regulation, which is crucial for trauma survivors.
  • Attachment-Focused EMDR: Attachment-focused EMDR helps to establish a sense of safety and stability in the client’s system, particularly through the exploration of attachment wounds. By targeting unprocessed or maladaptive attachment memories, this can help patients build a more secure internal environment.
  • Clinical Hypnotherapy: In the early stages, hypnotherapy can be used to guide the client into relaxed states and help them access resourceful states, including resilience, strength, and calm. Hypnosis can also help with body awareness and grounding, enhancing safety by fostering a sense of connection to the present moment.

2. Trauma Processing:

  • ACT Focus: During this phase, ACT focuses on helping the client confront and process difficult emotions, thoughts, and memories associated with trauma. The emphasis is on acceptance rather than avoidance, enabling the client to experience these painful memories in a new, less distressing way. This can involve defusion techniques (separating oneself from unhelpful thoughts) and creating meaning around the trauma to facilitate psychological growth.
  • Attachment-Focused EMDR: EMDR helps to reprocess traumatic memories by allowing the brain to integrate fragmented traumatic experiences. With the attachment focus, I may work on shifting the client’s internal working models of attachment relationships, healing trauma related to early caregivers, and supporting the client in regaining trust in relationships.
  • Clinical Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy can be used to help clients reframe traumatic memories, accessing a safe, resourceful state where the trauma is viewed through a lens of resilience. This can also involve age regression to rework past experiences and healing any unconscious parts of the psyche that are holding onto the trauma.

3. Reconnection and Integration:

  • ACT Focus: In this phase, the goal is to help clients reconnect to their values, reengage in life with a sense of purpose, and move towards committed action that reflects their authentic self. ACT aims to strengthen psychological flexibility, helping the client integrate the trauma into their life story in a way that does not define or limit them. The client learns to live in alignment with their values despite past traumas.
  • Attachment-Focused EMDR: Reconnection through EMDR can be facilitated by reworking maladaptive attachment patterns, helping clients form more adaptive relationship dynamics and heal relational trauma. This phase involves restoring healthy attachment security, which supports the client in forming healthy connections with others.
  • Clinical Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy is particularly effective in the integration process, helping clients visualize their future with a sense of empowerment. It can also help reinforce new self-concepts and behaviors that are aligned with the client’s healing and growth. Additionally, clients can be guided to reinforce positive changes through visualizations and internal resources.

Synergy of Approaches:

  • ACT supports overall psychological flexibility and helps clients engage in life despite trauma, focusing on mindfulness and acceptance.
  • Attachment-Focused EMDR works through the processing of attachment-based trauma, offering a direct way to heal relational wounds and rework painful memories in a way that fosters safety and connection.
  • Clinical Hypnotherapy facilitates deep relaxation and access to the subconscious, allowing for trauma processing, resource building, and the integration of positive changes.

Together, these approaches provide a multi-layered approach to trauma that addresses emotional, cognitive, and physiological aspects of healing. This helps clients not only process the trauma itself but also regain their sense of self, form healthier relationships, and re-engage with life in a meaningful and values-driven way.