Services

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy

EMDR is a powerful, research-backed therapy that helps people heal from trauma and other overwhelming life experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR helps your brain reprocess difficult memories so they no longer feel as distressing, intrusive, or “stuck".

EMDR is for anyone who feels burdened by past experiences or has strong emotional reactions that seem hard to control. It is especially supportive if you:

• Have experienced trauma, loss, or abuse

• Struggle with anxiety, panic, or intrusive thoughts

• Feel stuck in old patterns or negative self-beliefs (“I’m not safe,” “I’m not good enough”)

• React strongly to situations that remind you of the past, even if you you don’t fully understand why

How EMDR Works:

In EMDR, we identify a memory, emotion, belief, or body sensation that feels difficult. While you hold this experience in mind, I will guide you through bilateral stimulation, which are gentle left-right movements such as eye movements, tapping, or alternating tones.

These rhythmic patterns help your brain process the memory more effectively, similar to what naturally happens during REM sleep. As this processing unfolds:

• the memory becomes less emotionally charged

• the body’s stress response softens

• new, more adaptive beliefs begin to take hold

You will still remember what happened, but it will no longer feel as raw, overwhelming, or defining.

Over time, people often report feeling calmer, more grounded, and better able to see themselves and their experiences with compassion and perspective.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) "Parts Work"

You might sometimes notice that a "part" of you wants or feels something, and another "part" might want or feel the exact opposite. These parts might cause internal confusion or even conflict. Some parts of us are qualities we really like about ourselves, or they get positive feedback from colleagues and partners. Other parts might feel very extreme, not "like us" at all, and cause destruction in our lives. 

In Internal Family Systems, the underlying assumption is that there is a core "self" that is creative, confident, compassionate, and untouched by trauma. I like to compare it to that silent "witness" part of us talked about in Buddhism and yogic philosophy. Surrounding that core self are all sorts of parts that have come about through different times and experiences in our lives.  These "parts" work hard to protect us from pain and feeling significant emotional wounds caused by trauma. Another key tenant of IFS is that there are no "bad" parts. They are just trying to help. I love this because it is so anti-pathological, and I believe in it strongly from my experience in working with trauma.

Most parts are functional. They manage our day-to-day lives, and engage in behaviors such as planning, controlling, caretaking, pleasing, etc. Other parts are called "firefighters" - these are the ones that take over when the "managers" aren't working. These tend to be more extreme and are often why people who have a trauma background seek therapy. Firefighters can be self-harm, emotional outbursts, shutting down, panic, substance use, etc. Then there are the exiles - the parts of us that hold trauma and feel like grief, rage, shame, etc. that we cast away from our conscious mind because of the pain associated with them.  

Through parts work, we can untangle and get to know the different parts of you. We can help soothe them so that they can become less extreme and cause less suffering for you. We can help them to work together and not against each other or against you.  Often, when the wound is healed, people find that their protective parts are free to engage in more productive pursuits. In other words, significant psychic and emotional energy is free to go elsewhere, where you direct it, rather than being consumed by efforts to protect your system from re-experiencing the traumatic wound. People start to feel more in control of their lives, and less controlled by "symptoms". 

Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

Suffering from OCD can feel exhausting and all-consuming. There can be so much shame and secrecy surrounding obsessions, compulsions and urges that cause people to avoid important and joyful parts of life. There is a practical way out of the OCD cycle, and you don't have to do it alone. Overcoming OCD takes motivation and willingness to learn and practice new skills. It is possible to manage and overcome with support.

There are many methods for treating and managing OCD. While there is a "gold-standard" approach for treatment (ERP), you and your OCD are unique. Therapy for OCD is a collaborative process to find out what works best for you. 

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a highly effective form of therapy used to treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and related anxiety conditions. It works by gradually helping a person face the thoughts, situations, or triggers that cause anxiety (this is the “exposure” part), while learning to resist the urge to perform compulsive behaviors or rituals (the “response prevention” part).

Subtypes of OCD I work with:

• contamination

• "pure O" - high presence of obsessive/intrusive thoughts, compulsions are more covert/mental - seeking reassurance, researching, neutralizing, ruminating 

• harm OCD - fear of harming oneself or others

• ordering/counting/symmetry

• "just right"/perfectionism OCD -  arranging/touching something in a certain way or number of times to avoid it feeling "off" or "wrong", re-doing so it feels "right"

• checking - checking doors, stove, etc. 

• relationship OCD (ROCD) - obsessions around whether you love your partner, are attracted to them, etc. 

• moral scrupulosity - obsessions about whether you are a bad or immoral person

• religious/blasphemy - intrusive thoughts that violate your moral/religious beliefs 

• existential - obsessions around existential themes i.e "what if I don't exist?", "what if nothing is real?"

• perinatal/postpartum OCD - obsessions/compulsions related to safety or well-being of your baby (see "Therapy for Perinatal Anxiety/OCD" at bottom of page) 

Can ERP work for Panic Disorder or Phobias?

Yes, ERP can be effective for both issues.  

How does ERP work in a session?

In an Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) session,  we will work together to slowly face situations that cause anxiety related to OCD.

First, we will identify triggers, or things that bring up anxiety or the urge to do compulsions. We will create what is called a "fear ladder" - a list of triggers from least anxiety-producing to most.  Then we will create a plan for exposure, starting with easier situations and working up to harder ones over time.

During the ERP session, you will practice an “exposure,” meaning you will face one of these triggers on purpose. At the same time, I will help you use skills that we've worked on together in other sessions for the “response prevention” (sometimes also called "ritual prevention"),  which means not doing the usual habit or compulsion you would normally use to feel better. I will be there with you (virtually) to support you, especially when anxiety increases. Over time, you will learn that although anxiety will increase in reaction to an exposure, it will eventually come down on its own, even without doing the compulsion. This creates changes in the mind that over time allows one to override the OCD cycle and create a new and healthier relationship to obsessive thoughts and anxiety.  Afterward, we will process how it went and what you learned. 

How I approach OCD treatment with clients: 

• I use a combined method of gold-standard OCD treatment, ERP (exposure response prevention), CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and ACT (acceptance commitment therapy) with suggested homework for you in between sessions to help you gain control over your symptoms and start to see changes within our time working together. 

• Sessions will include learning/practicing skills for symptom management as well as in-vivo and imaginal exposure work to break OCD cycle. 

• You will learn about OCD, your brain, and receive warm and compassionate support.

• We will troubleshoot/process any challenges that come up and celebrate successes. 

• Options for shared google drive to log exposures, create collaborative exposure scripting, making fear ladders, etc. 

What is CBT and ACT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, goal focused approach that helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. Together, we’ll identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck, like negative self talk or unhelpful habits, and work to replace them with healthier, more effective ways of thinking and responding. CBT is collaborative and skills based, which means you’ll learn tools you can use in your everyday life to manage stress, improve your mood, and feel more in control.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach that helps you build a different relationship with your thoughts and emotions, rather than trying to fight or eliminate them. Together, we’ll focus on accepting what’s outside of your control while identifying what truly matters to you. From there, you’ll learn how to take meaningful action in line with your values, even when difficult thoughts or feelings show up. ACT is about creating a life that feels purposeful and authentic, while developing the flexibility to handle life’s challenges with greater ease 

As a new mom who had a fair share of complications during pregnancy and birth myself, I understand how overwhelming, vulnerable and transformative this time can be and how important it is to have support. I would be honored to provide a holding space for you if you are experiencing/have experienced the following:

• A traumatic pregnancy/birth with complications or many interventions

• Heightened or new anxiety or OCD symptoms during pregnancy or postpartum 

• Increased anxiety in a subsequent pregnancy after prior traumatic birth

• Increased triggers or worries due to your own unprocessed childhood trauma being exacerbated by motherhood

• Difficulty navigating changes in identity and challenges in relationships with partner, family or friends

Therapy for Birth Trauma 

I approach therapy for birth trauma in a way that will be most supportive to where you are and what you're needing. EMDR (see above for more details) is an effective method for birth trauma and can be modified in a way that focuses more on building positive resources rather than reprocessing the traumatic birth event. For some clients, especially those who may be in later stages of a subsequent pregnancy, taking on this gentler approach may be more suitable. For clients who are not pregnant and adjusting mostly well, traditional EMDR can be a helpful option to work through birth trauma. 

I always offer doing IFS parts work (see above) to work with new or existing "parts" that are created or strengthened by trauma or motherhood. Through this, we can locate the parts the need the most attention and care and help them to calm, settle and take on more helpful roles in your system.

Therapy for Perinatal Anxiety & OCD

It can be so disheartening and even scary to experience increased or new anxiety or OCD symptoms in the perinatal period on top of trying to survive the difficulty of the day-to-day and sleep deprivation. ERP (see above) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be very effective if you experience the following:

• Scary and intrusive thoughts about your baby being harmed by you, someone or something else

• Feeling overwhelmed by thoughts about being a bad mother

• Having disturbing thoughts that make you believe you're a bad mother/bad person for having them 

• Avoiding situations or people excessively to prevent something bad from happening to you or your baby

• Not wanting to leave the house or accept help from other trusted people even though it is necessary or beneficial for your mental health

• Checking on your baby excessively to make sure they're still breathing, alive, etc. when they are objectively safe

• Doing rituals or other behaviors to decrease anxiety, prevent something "bad" from happening, or to "undo" disturbing thoughts. 

• Increased OCD symptoms not related to baby/motherhood that are getting in the way of parenting or becoming difficult to manage