Relationship Difficulties
Relationships are complex and challenging. I believe we feel the most satisfied and successful in our relationships when we have a realistic and compassionate understanding of our own strengths, patterns and triggers. Also, relationships work better when each partner has an understanding of their own and the other’s needs. While couples therapy is an extremely powerful tool for strengthening a relationship and improving communication, sometimes we need our own space to process the ways in which our past experiences are interfering with our ability to “show up” for and connect with our partners. Intimacy brings out our strengths as well as our fears. I provide a supportive, nonjudgmental place for you to process what comes up for you in relationships. I am sensitive to the ways in which childhood experiences shape our beliefs about ourselves and seep into our current relationships.
Parenting
Parenting tends to take us to extremes–sometimes within minutes. So much of our own childhood can get stirred up by parenting our children. Often we are not even aware of the emotional soup until the pot gets stirred. Parenting is most effective when we can regulate our own emotional states and help our children better understand what they are going through. That does not mean we have to be perfect–just, as psychologist D.W. Winnicott advocates, “good enough.”
With 10+ years experience as a child and adolescent therapist, I have an extensive understanding of developmental patterns in both neuro-typical and neuro-atypical youths. During my time as a child and adolescent therapist I also worked closely with parents, helping them understand their child’s needs and their own responses. As a parent, I appreciate the agony and ecstasy that parenting brings. I offer a nurturing, compassionate, nonjudgmental place for you to process your parenting challenges. My approach includes working collaboratively with you to better understand your triggers and respond more effectively to your children and partner. In addition, I have found EMDR to be extremely useful for working through issues that get activated in parent-child dynamics.
Click here to learn more about EMDR.
