working philosophy
A person’s reasons for seeking therapy are often easier to feel than to put into words. You may find yourself repeating painful patterns, troubled by feelings you cannot explain, or uncertain about what you want. Psychoanalytic therapy offers a space to speak about these experiences without having to understand them in advance.
My approach is grounded in careful listening and the understanding that much of mental life is unconscious. We can want conflicting things, find ourselves caught in situations we hoped to avoid, or respond to someone in ways that surprise us. Early relationships and the ways we have learned to manage love, loss, and dependency can continue to shape our lives without our knowing it.
In our work together, I invite you to say what comes to mind, even when it seems unrelated, contradictory, or difficult to say. We attend to memories, dreams, everyday concerns, and the words you use to describe them. We also explore what happens between us, where familiar expectations, fears, and wishes may emerge. These moments can help us understand something that has been lived and repeated but has not yet found words.
This is a collaboration that respects the complexity of your experience and the time it takes to develop trust. Through this work, you may come to recognize more of what moves you, make room for feelings that have been difficult to bear, and distinguish what you want from what you feel expected to want. As longstanding patterns become clearer, new ways of relating and living can become possible.
With children, play is central to the work. Through stories, games, and imagined worlds, children express feelings and conflicts they cannot yet put into words. I listen to their play and attend to the relationship that develops between us, helping them give form to difficult experiences and find greater freedom in how they express and respond to them.
Relevant Articles:
The Therapy Relationship in Psychodynamic Therapy vs CBT
The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
