Individualized Psychotherapy

 
 

“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” -Pema Chodrom

Therapy, also called psychotherapy or counseling, is the process of working to resolve various challenges present in your life. It is a relational experience aimed to inspire change and increase meaning through self-awareness and self-exploration. It is a collaborative treatment intended to resolve distress, increase support, shift thoughts/behaviors, safely experience emotions and improve overall wellbeing.

 
 
 

What To Expect?

Therapy with me is a personal journey of self-discovery, understanding, and healing on multiple levels. I utilize a holistic approach to assess the areas in your life where you feel stuck or overwhelmed, and work towards increased awareness, acceptance and resolution. We will explore your feelings, attitudes and belief systems in a manner that provides presence and increased clarity. My goal is to provide individually tailored supports, skills and strategies to improve your relationship with yourself and others. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic experiencing and mindfulness, we can work together to address your fears, process past trauma, discover your strengths and identify new directions for personal growth. 

Healing is more than removing obstacles; the process of finding the root and understanding the cause is equally important to restore our mental health. Linking past to present can further help us integrate previous experiences and release that which no longer serves us. Often it is our stories and limiting beliefs that keep us stuck, and when we are ready to let go of expectations, we can shift our narrative. To transform what we see on the outside of our lives, we first have to transform what we feel on the inside.

I believe that talking is a critical part of the process; however, it’s in bringing awareness into the body and heart that deeper healing occurs. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we can heal from an intellectual place, but this approach is limited. We can benefit from getting out of our heads and into our intelligent bodies where we can feel what we want to heal. From this heart space, we gain further insight and perspective into our behaviors and choices. We find strength in our vulnerability when we are able to be present with our true emotions without censoring, hiding, or shaming who we are.

Therapeutic Approach

Therapy is a lifestyle choice and an investment to improve the most important relationship you have- the one with yourself! Therapy is appropriate for anyone regardless of mental health diagnosis, symptoms or past treatment. Reaching out can often feel overwhelming, and being open to personal development and acknowledging your distress is the first step toward change. Seeking support does not indicate weakness, but rather a strength as it shows a desire to establish new and different ways of viewing, coping with, or managing your concerns. As Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.”

I consider myself to be a direct and active therapist that will hold you accountable in a supportive and compassionate manner. Feeling heard, being seen, and having a safe space to share and understand your story encourages resilience. I believe in each individual’s own innate ability to heal, and I offer guidance and perspective; rather than directive. I will empower you throughout a change process while also encouraging you to step outside of your comfort zone and embrace the present moment. When we let go of how we think life should be, we can begin to make room for the life that is unfolding before us. Health and happiness often emerge from being in harmony with our own authentic selves, nature, path and purpose and restoring that balance is part of our therapeutic journey.

 
 
 
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the concept that the way we think and interpret life’s events affects how we behave and, ultimately, how we feel. CBT views psychological problems as being the result of negative thoughts and inaccurate beliefs. By increasing awareness and/or changing the way we think, we can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective and positive manner. Cognitive therapy focuses on present thinking, behavior, and communication rather than on past experiences, and is oriented toward problem-solving and establishing new and effective coping skills for improved mood.

  • Somatic Experiencing (SE) is based on the idea that traumatic experiences cause dysfunction in a person’s nervous system that prevents them from processing that experience. SE is a body-centered approach to treating trauma and anxiety that, rather than focusing only on thoughts or emotions associated with a traumatic event, expands to include the natural bodily (somatic) responses, with the goal of helping an individual notice physical sensations stemming from their mental health issues and use that awareness to work through painful feelings and emotions. SE differs from cognitive therapies in that its major interventional strategy involves bottom-up processing by directing the client's attention to internal sensations, both visceral (interoception) and musculoskeletal (proprioception and kinesthesis).

    We store memory in the mind and the body; SE is a gentle and effective way to read the signs and messages that the body is delivering through symptoms. Gaining access to the wisdom of the body can offer you deep insight into subconscious beliefs and corresponding patterns of tension and stress that can be locked or hardwired into your body's nervous system. Somatic processing can help resolve trauma and reconnect the body and mind to restore balance and well-being.

  • Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. It is a state of active, open attention to the now by observing one’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the body in an objective manner without judging them. Being present can help us heal, lean into internal resistance, and shift maladaptive perceptions. Mindfulness can therefore be a tool to avoid self-criticism and judgment while identifying and managing difficult emotions, leading to reduced stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses and can access through support and practice. Examples include mediation, breathwork, acceptance, presence, guided imagery, body scans, etc.

  • Mind-Body Connection is the belief that the causes, development, and outcomes of a physical illness are determined from the interaction of psychological, environmental, and biological factors. Simply put, it looks at how physical symptoms can be an indicator of what is going on within. This doesn’t mean that all symptoms are ‘in your head’ or caused only by negative thoughts, but rather recognizing that those symptoms can be influenced by your internal states. Disease can also be seen as stemming from toxic emotional stress levels and healing emotional energies can further restore balance. Your mind and body are powerful allies, and mind-body work can be used in proactive or restorative manners. Gaining insight through therapeutic practices and interventions further recover faith in our minds and spirits’ role in the healing of the human body.

 
 

Information:

  • I work with adults and teenagers ages 16 and older

  • In-person (Missoula, MT), as well as remote Telehealth sessions, are available

  • All sessions are billable to insurance and I am credentialed with most major insurance companies. Hourly rate is $150 per psychotherapy session

  • I work with a variety of issues including, but not limited to;  Mood Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Greif, Self-Esteem, Trauma/PTSD, Pregnancy/Prenatal/Postpartum, Traumatic Brain Injury, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Relationships, Life Transitions, Stress Management, Bi-Polar Disorder and Dual Diagnosis

  • Free 15 min phone consultation to assess therapeutic fit