When you have a chronic mental health condition, the amount of work you do every day to manage your symptoms can go unnoticed. It's not easy to find ways to push through when so many factors seem outside of your control. Genetics, past trauma, the behavior of others, and the systems and institutions we participate in all play a role. It's hard to imagine what else can be done sometimes.
There's a lot of information out there on why things go wrong and what can be done to help. For all of the data we have about mental health, the greater challenge is often applying that information effectively. We've all heard the stories, the treatment that worked for one person didn't work for someone else. The technique that worked for you in the past might not be meeting your needs in the present. My approach is integrative and intentional, and works to empower sustainable change long after therapy ends.
For treating depression, anxiety, chronic PTSD, attachment trauma, or challenges related to neurodevelopmental differences, finding the right starting point and the right goal makes a world of difference. Finding a leverage point in your life where change is more likely to begin, and where you may feel more motivated through the process, is specific to you and your circumstances.
The process starts with your perspective and your capacity. Your thoughts and opinions are valued. If there are memories, habits, or choices that you don’t feel ready to address yet, there won’t be pressure to start there. There’s something powerful about taking a small step in the right direction. There’s no telling what can happen once you have a little bit of momentum.
I've worked with many people who were exhausted after years of therapy with multiple agencies. Some had been through therapy as a condition of the justice system, child and family services, school, or because of a family ultimatum. For others who received inpatient mental health care, and then step-down PHP and IOP therapy, they had almost lost count of how many therapists, psychiatrists, group therapists, and support personnel they'd talked to along the way. Even if experiences like these were for the best, it can be hard to start therapy again, no matter how much you may need it.
Frustrating administrative processes, vicarious trauma in group therapy sessions, systemic challenges in public institutions and more may have added stress during a vulnerable time in your life. You deserve the freedom to be completely honest about these realities without worrying what your therapist might think. Working with someone familiar with these settings can make trying again a little more manageable.
The goal is to maintain continuity with what has worked for you in the past, while providing flexibility to help this new experience actually feels like a new experience. Along the way you might have encountered competing diagnoses or explanations for your symptoms, and we’ll work together to clear things up. Experiencing different therapy settings and treatment styles might have shaped your own point of view on the mental health care system. Those thoughts and opinions are welcome.
Over the course of the 21st century, millions of people in the U.S. disaffiliated from their spiritual community. The statistics don't tell the human story though. The process of spiritual change often takes the form of a major life crisis. Belief systems form connections between all the different parts of your life, when a belief system changes, every area of your life can be impacted.
Spiritual crisis is sometimes equated just with losing faith or leaving a church, but the reality is more complex. A spiritual awakening or religious conversion can also have a similar effect. Expanding your awareness of the world or having new, unexpected spiritual experiences can lead to similar points of stress. Some people have a spiritual crisis and emerge with their beliefs more or less the same, but are profoundly transformed in other ways. A spiritual crisis is less about what you do or don't believe, and more about a loss of harmony between your beliefs, identity, and relationships.
When people need support in a spiritual crisis, the communities they turn to might prioritize questions about beliefs. The unspoken message people sometimes receive during a spiritual crisis is "until you know for sure where you stand, we aren't sure if you belong here." A spiritual crisis can last for years, and you shouldn't have to face that alone. Therapy support for a spiritual crisis can help by respecting your right to work out your beliefs without pressure, while also understanding how your identity, relationships, and emotions are impacted by your spiritual journey.
Spiritual crisis can also occur in the aftermath of abuse, bigotry, or trauma that happened in a religious context. Recovery from trauma is extra complicated when the spirituality you turned to for help in the past is now a place of hurt. Many end up suffering in silence, trying their best to make things work in a community that doesn’t feel like home anymore. In addition to trauma-informed therapy, those with religious trauma may also benefit from therapy that understands the unique nature of spiritual communities and the systemic nature of belief.
An important goal for me is providing therapy that's inclusive and knowledgeable of spiritual diversity, including non-spiritual preferences and alternative spiritualities. I can't promise universal familiarity with every belief system out there. However, I do have an academic background in studying religion, and this is an area of continual study and research for me. Respecting your spiritual autonomy is foundational. A spiritual crisis can bring a lot of uncertainty to the future. Supporting your ability to manage these challenges with authenticity can help bring stability despite the uncertainty.
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Hours of operation:
Sunday - Thursday, 12pm - 8pm.
Online therapy sessions last 50 minutes and cost $150. I try to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.