My Approach to Therapy

My Approaches to Therapy

My approach to therapy is one of being a part of the process as a team; helping individuals, couples, and families in collaboration. Respecting that the individual in context of the people they are connected to, knows exactly their truth. They just need a different perspective surrounded by acceptance and care to help create healing. Thus, a new way to view, experience, and live in the present.

"Everything will change when your desire to move on exceeds your desire to hold on."

Alan H. Cohen

Services

Experiential Play Therapy - Children

Experiential Play Therapy is a non-directed style of play therapy. The knowing is that the child intrinsically has the knowledge how to heal through play. I provide a plethora of toys, costumes, sand tray, art, games, etc. that allows a child the freedom to play out the conflicts that they currently struggle with. The play becomes thematic and repetitive. I witness the themes and interject the emotions and alterations of actions to help a child create a solution to the issue without involving the cognitive faculties of dialog. The play keeps the healing developmentally appropriate; the natural way that all children go through normal developmental stages, as well as, traumatic or problematic situations. I also work with children and their attorneys when they are involved in high conflict custody battles. The process of therapy remains the same. But, I am able to express the child's point of view in court. I am an advocate for the child. I help the parents see the value of resolution in the best interest of their child.

*to read more, go to: www.experientialplaytherapy.com

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)- Trauma

EMDR has been the most direct, effective, and fastest way to process both chronic, systemic, and multiple traumas to single episode trauma. From a neurological perspective, this treatment allows access into the heart of the worst part of the trauma(s) to dis-regulate the trauma in the neutral network and begin the process of reprocessing the trauma with positive connections instead of negative associations. This not only heals the trauma that is the target of the treatment, it also heals all associated trauma/interactions that were a product of the original trauma. EMDR allows access into the neutral network to restore the mind and body to a healthy and highly functional state.

*to read more, go to: www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/

Individuals/Couples/Parenting

I view the individual, couple or single parent as central to the healing not only for themselves, but for their children. Recurrently, I have experienced individuals and couples that have unresolved conflict in their past that effects their current relationships; whether that is within social, education, career, family, spiritual, and/or financial arenas. For individuals, I focus on the issue at hand stemming from the present to the past. When it enters into a couple, I then, focus on the psycho dynamics that create health and harm. Maximizing the healthy aspects of the relationship will aid in healing the harmful parts of the relationship. From there, I ascertain the past unresolved traumas that need to be healed on an individual level. So, in sum, I focus on the dilemma presented and then break it down to its parts. I then focus on the individual functioning that creates the ability to reconnect back with themselves and those they love in a healthy and functional way. As a part of parenting, I help the parents individually and together with discovering not only their own emotions, but the emotions of their child/ren. In teaching parents to see and understand emotion in themselves and in their child/ren , they are able to teach emotional labeling to their child/ren that help in assuring their child/ren understand that their parents understand and empathize with them. It teaches them how to label the emotion they are feeling at the time and that they are not alone. This creates security and ability to emotional label emotion. In turn, creates emotional tolerance that aids in successfully handling highly emotionally charged situations in the future.

From a parenting perspective, it's imperative that the couple agree on the rules and how to implement them. This establishes a united front that creates a boundary for the family, thus security. The most importance yet the most difficult is to remain consistent with the rules. I assist parents with this entire process from emotional exploration to setting and following though with the structure they create for their family.

Additional Therapies

In addition to the above services, I also implement Aromatherapy, Pet Therapy, and Yoga Therapy into my practice when requested and needed. I use essential oils in the office to create a sense of peace and ease for the healing process. I also create an unique combination of oils to give to each client depending on their individual needs. I have a Therapy Dog, Leo, that has been tested through Pet Partners and deemed a Complex Rated Therapy Dog. This rating it the highest level a dog can achieve. Although he is stellar with all people and living things, his job is to help rehabilitate his new canine sister that was rescued from a torture situation. She, Skylar, needs Leo with her to help her feel safe and continue to heal from her trauma. Yoga Therapy is used to help regulate the nervous system and balance mind, body, and spirit. I use techniques as simple as breathing to more advanced postures to aid in healing stuck energy, create more oxygen in the body, opening up areas of the body that hold trauma, and create a sense of peace.