Philosophy
I have been practicing Gestalt Therapy, a present-centered,
life-giving form of psychotherapy since 2000. Gestalt is a German
word for “whole” and it helps you look at the patterns you find yourself in,
but cannot seem to change. By slowing down and paying attention
to moment-by-moment decisions and feelings you have, Gestalt helps you
find new sources of energy and power to live more as you hope and desire.
All of this happens fairly traditionally, by talking through your days,
your relationships, your challenges, and, when relevant, your past,
but with a twist. I work with my clients in an engaged way to discover
together how to find new words, new thoughts, new energy to take action.
This is the fun – sometimes scary! – part of therapy, where you get to
experiment with new ways of being based on what you discover is most
truthful for you.
Society, Discrimination, Trauma
I tend to see challenges people face as coming from three common sources:
our families, traumatic experiences, and societal oppression. Of course,
these sometimes overlap. I follow clients’ pace in dealing with trauma, believing
therapy can be a place to have more control over issues that often
originate in a loss of control.
I also think it is important to acknowledge, when it is relevant to my clients, social obstacles and harms communities can face based on race, gender identity and expression, sexual identity, disability, class, age, religion, culture, and immigration status. I also work with clients on the role societal privilege can play in their lives and relationships.
Clients
In my practice, I see single adults from diverse communities and cultural
backgrounds. I see straight, gay, asexual, and queer clients. I work with
transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, and enby identified clients, as well as those across gender and agender experiences regardless of identity. I often work with activists and those in social justice professional and unpaid work.
Education
PhD Graduate Center of CUNY, 2013
Gestalt Therapy Certificate, 2001
MSW Columbia University, 1995
BA University of Michigan, 1990
Contact
My Blog 