i n t e g r a t i v e

a p p r o a c h e s

I’m an avid believer that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to healing and growth. Therapeutic approaches should keep the whole person in mind and are most helpful when they recognize wellbeing is multidimensional. Traditional talk therapy is a useful approach for many—and fortunately, it’s possible to integrate many holistic techniques into talk therapy—and integrate talk therapy into multiple settings. Modalities that focus on the body, movement, neurobiology, and those that work with the body’s natural rhythms for healing are often also exceedingly useful approaches to come back to center and cultivate healing and growth.

Unfamiliar with approaches beyond traditional in-office talk therapy? Continue reading to learn more about modalities that can be integrated into our work together (or return to the main counseling page here.)

Ecotherapy

Hiking Therapy

As an avid hiker, I've always understood that there are incredible mental health benefits to movement in nature.  Fortunately, science has time and time again proven this to be true.  Hiking can be beneficial for anxiety, depression, and a host of other ailments—bringing opportunity to feel healthier and more integrated.   

Hiking + Therapy means that you and I meet at a decided upon location and conduct a therapy session while we go for a hike (usually an hour to an hour and a half).  It's the ultimate in mind-body health: engaging the brain and the body at the same time. You get the benefits of nature and movement as well as therapy. The only thing I ask is that you bring an open mind and a water bottle. 

Walk + Talk Therapy

Walk + Talk Therapy is just as it sounds— we are outside walking during therapy instead of sitting inside of an office. Research shows that movement can significantly decrease anxiety and depression while improving overall mood.  Walk + Talk Therapy encourages movement in order to promote both mental and physical health. It can spur creative, deeper ways of thinking and help reduce feelings of “being stuck” while confronting difficult issues. For some clients, looking forward rather than directly at a therapist can help them engage more openly and feel less inhibited. Incorporating walking into psychotherapy sessions can enrich the counseling experience and integrate one of the nervous system’s best tools for calming and self-regulation.

Ecotherapy can also include a variation of being outside in nature without walking or hiking, but rather sitting still and appreciating all that nature has to offer.

Relationship Therapy

I love working with couples interested in learning how to cultivate, sustain, and evolve their relationships. I bring an open, direct, and compassionate lens to relationship work. In addition to training in the Gottman Method and sexuality and sex therapy, I use intersectional feminist and liberation-focused frameworks to guide my approach. What’s this mean? I integrate research-based knowledge on what leads to vibrant relationships with an appreciation for the unique dynamics in every partnership. I believe healthy relationships are both secure and liberating.

Breathwork + Mindfulness

Mindfulness and breathwork are practices that date back centuries. Rooted in Indian tradition, these practices have become increasingly researched and appreciated across cultures as having deep value in improving quality of life.

Given the link between mind and body, there can be great utility in incorporating breathing into the therapy process. With a relaxed mind and body you can breathe more deeply-- increasing oxygen flow and promoting a state of calmness. When in emotional distress, your body becomes constricted and tense, thereby taking in less oxygen and activating the “stress response.” Learning how the breath can be used to shift your experience and bring about a sense of groundedness when needed can bring a sense of empowerment into your life—and practicing during therapy can help make breath and mindfulness more accessible in your day-to-day life.

To give you a sense of how breathwork techniques can be used in session, we might practice varied types of breathing, exploring those that are deep and slow and help decrease stress responses. Mindfulness also includes bringing awareness to your in-the-moment experience of your body sensations, your thoughts, or your emotions. If mindfulness and breathwork are unfamiliar, or you’re worried about ‘not doing it right,’ rest assured that much of the utility is in the practice, not about perfection.

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing

EMDR is a research-supported, integrative psychotherapy approach designed to treat symptoms of trauma, post-traumatic stress, and other difficulties. EMDR sessions follow a specific sequence of phases, and practitioners use bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or use of vibrating buzzers to aid in reprocessing unresolved memories from adverse experiences. EMDR can be used to address any number of concerns, and it is compatible with other types of therapy.

The theoretical framework for EMDR therapy explains that some memories associated with adverse life experiences may remain unprocessed due to the high level of disturbance experienced at the time of the event. The stored memory may be linked to emotions, negative cognitions, and physical sensations experienced during the event and the unprocessed memory can affect the way a person responds to subsequent similar adverse experiences. Through EMDR therapy, these fragmented memories can be reprocessed so that they become more coherent and less disruptive.