My philosophy is rooted in the core competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis. While every person’s journey is unique, the intent of our work together is to build a more flexible, resilient, and honest internal life.

We work toward developing:

Emotional Range: An increased capacity to experience and manage a full range of emotions—even the difficult ones—without being overwhelmed.

Self-Access without Shame: The ability to navigate different aspects of who you are without the burden of self-judgment.

Self-Regulation: Building the internal tools to comfort, soothe, and reflect on yourself during times of stress.

Radical Honesty & Responsibility: The ability to be more truthful with yourself and take ownership of your path.

Tolerance for Uncertainty: Developing the strength to sit with ambiguity and the “unknowns” of life without reaching for rigid, outdated coping mechanisms.

Creative Thinking over Repetition: Learning to look at your past with a creative lens so you can stop repeating old scripts and start writing new ones.

Relief from Rigidity: Breaking free from the internal constraints that have kept your world small or problematic.

Efficacy in Love and Work: Increasing your capacity for meaningful relationships and a sense of “self-efficacy” in your professional and personal life.

Decades of clinical research have shown that many different therapeutic approaches can lead to successful outcomes. However, the data are clear on one point: the therapeutic relationship—the quality of the connection and trust between the client and the therapist—is the single most important factor in success, regardless of the specific “type” of therapy being used.

While the relationship is the foundation, the specific “tools” matter. Every therapist gravitates toward a primary theoretical base that fits their own way of seeing the world. Similarly, a specific approach might resonate deeply with one client while feeling ineffective to another.

Because every person is uniquely individual, a “one-size-fits-all” model doesn’t exist. Part of our initial work is determining if my specific approach aligns with your needs and your way of processing information. If it doesn’t, part of my professional responsibility is to help you find the approach that will.

I tend to work with long-standing issues that have not reached resolution. These issues are often best addressed through psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approaches. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes and feelings that influence behavior and mood. This approach can be applied in conjunction with shorter term techniques. For more long-standing issues such as repeated unsatisfying relationships, repeated difficulties achieving goals, long histories of anxiety and depression, or perhaps a sense that one can not be oneself, a psychoanalytic basis may be preferable.

Psychoanalysis is a very particular approach to therapy that aims at changes in a person’s basic behavioral, thought, and emotional patterns by focusing on integrating unconscious, developmental and experiential aspects of oneself with the conscious self. This often leads to long-term, persistent change. Traditional psychoanalysis uses a program of several sessions per week. Because of several limitations (insurance restrictions, cost, and time) it is not practical to follow traditional analysis programs, therefore I follow an analytic approach to psychotherapy.

In particular, the basis for my approach to psychotherapy is Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy which follows the philosophy that psychological structure derives from one’s relationships with others. This is different than traditional psychoanalysis in which a person’s psyche is made up of innate drives and that the development of those is at the root of the psychic structure. To this end, a Relational therapist sees the therapy process as one of dynamic collaboration in which the interactions between the therapist and the client are part of the therapy.

Other therapeutic modalities certainly influence my approach to therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Learning Theory are important components of the work we do.

Additionally, I have discovered that the integration of Buddhist mindfulness philosophy can affect powerful changes. Mark Epstein has written several exceptional books on the topic of Buddhism and psychotherapy that have helped shape me as a therapist.