Therapy

What
to expect

A blend of trauma-informed somatic and relational approaches that promote wholeness and connection. These are both evidenced-based, in the contemporary sense, and ancient – rooted in wisdom from Indigenous ways of knowing and healing. 

The therapy I practice is rooted in solidarity, a struggle for liberation that unites everyone. We all have a part to play in healing our communities and our planet, a large undertaking that requires healing ourselves. Liberatory therapy includes the cultural, societal, spiritual, political, and historical aspects of your well-being. As a white settler, practicing liberatory social work is being curious and reparative as I unlearn white supremacy and settler colonialism, and learn how to hold people in true equanimity. I must acknowledge the politics of therapy, for which I am always growing, and the women of the global majority that I learn from. Understanding and respecting the Black Radical Tradition is integral to how I navigate social work and destabilize the professionalization (colonization) of Indigenous healing traditions.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a framework for understanding ourselves as having many differentiated parts of us, compelled to protect us from rejection or abandonment, and developing a relationship between the person and the protective parts that are trapped in extreme roles to create a greater sense of harmony. There are many forms of "parts work" in the field of therapy, I borrow from a few different schools of thought including Hakomi and Gestalt. "Parts work" originates from Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, in ritual practices, and in nature.

In my practice of decolonizing therapy, I have come to value the richness of depth psychology, also called Jungian or Post-Jungian psychoanalysis or archetypal psychology. C.G. Jung studied symbols from many different cultural and spiritual traditions and his analysis was biased in ways you would expect a Swiss German man to be at the turn of the 20th century. My approach to depth psychology is intersectional, critical, and defers to the wisdom and sovereignty of Indigenous healing traditions. Depth psychology embraces the unconscious - something science cannot fully explain - as well as dream analysis, and the power of myths and meaning in a person's life. The goal of depth psychology is to cultivate greater wisdom, with which many people find a sense of purpose. Depth psychology embraces the unconscious - something science cannot fully explain - as well as dream analysis, and the power of myths and meaning in a person's life. The goal of depth psychology is to cultivate greater wisdom, with which many people find a sense of purpose.

Psychedelic medicines allow for dramatic increases in neuroplasticity, developing insights and showing you new ways of thinking, being, and enjoying your life. Therapy is essential for making the most out of MDMA and Ketamine treatment. Medicinal plants have aided in ritual and ceremonial healing by Indigenous people for thousands of years. If you'd like to work with these plants, it's required that we honor the spirit of the plant, the land and ancestors who've cultivated it.

Practicing therapy with me helps to exercise circuits for connection and co-regulation so that you less frequently experience overwhelming emotions and when you do, it’s dramatically easier to cope with from a physiological standpoint. Simply put, working with me will help you move through the world more comfortably.

Our minds and bodies are deeply interconnected, along with a very human need to connect in various ways to other beings. For a variety of reasons, and especially after the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020, connecting with ourselves and with others has been very difficult. Somatic therapy invites you to be in your body, which can provide tremendous relief for a number of ailments. Additionally, improving connection in your body is a great way to safely begin connecting with others - learning how to ask for what you want, speak up for your dis/comfort, and relaxing into the pleasure that is being held in trust.