What is Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, often just called “therapy,” is a structured conversation that goes beyond everyday talk. It’s a collaborative process where we explore your thoughts, feelings, patterns, and experiences to help you understand yourself better, work through painful issues, and build healthier ways of coping. Unlike chatting with a friend, therapy is guided by clinical training and tailored to your unique needs — whether that’s managing symptoms, improving relationships, or making sense of long-standing struggles. At its best, it’s a space for insight, growth, and real change.

Which Therapy Approaches Do We Use

We tailor therapy to fit your needs, often blending different approaches rather than sticking rigidly to one style. Here’s a quick look at some of the methods we draw from:

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): Helps identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that fuel anxiety, depression, or self-doubt.

• DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy): Useful for intense emotions or relationship struggles; combines acceptance and change strategies, plus skills like mindfulness and distress tolerance.

• Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape your current life, so you can understand and change longstanding struggles at the root.

• Supportive Therapy: Offers a safe, steady space to process life’s challenges, build resilience, and navigate tough transitions without always digging into deeper history.

• ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention): The gold standard for OCD — helps you gradually face fears without resorting to compulsions.

• CBIT (Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics): A specialized behavioral therapy for managing tic disorders, teaching awareness and alternative responses.

Most people benefit from a mix that evolves over time, depending on what you’re facing and what resonates with you.

What makes this Different

This isn’t a quick fix, a list of coping tips, or a generic program pulled from a manual. Therapy here is deeply personalized, focused on truly understanding who you are and why certain patterns keep showing up in your life. We’ll look beyond surface symptoms to explore the roots of your struggles, all while building practical tools to help you navigate day-to-day challenges. It’s a careful balance of insight and action, designed to create lasting change — not just temporary relief.

What We Might Work On

That depends on you — your history, your goals, and what’s weighing on you most right now. We might look at how past experiences are shaping your current struggles, explore patterns in relationships that keep repeating, or work on managing overwhelming emotions and quieting harsh self-criticism. Sometimes it’s about finding meaning and direction during big life transitions; other times, it’s simply creating space to understand yourself more deeply. Therapy is, at its heart, a journey of learning about who you are, why you feel what you feel, and how to move through the world in a way that’s more aligned, steady, and authentic.

How It Works

Therapy here is a collaborative process, typically unfolding in weekly 45-50 minute sessions, all conducted virtually so you can join from the privacy and comfort of your own space. We’ll start by getting to know your history and what’s bringing you in now, then let the work evolve naturally — sometimes focusing on immediate crises, other times diving into deeper patterns when you’re ready. It’s a flexible journey, tailored to your pace and needs, with the shared goal of helping you gain insight, ease emotional burdens, and live in a way that feels more true to you.

Who This Is For

This kind of therapy is for people who want more than just quick coping strategies — it’s for anyone curious about why they feel stuck or why the same patterns keep repeating. It’s a good fit if you’ve tried brief therapy before without lasting change, if you’re navigating complex diagnoses or past traumas, or simply if you’re seeking a deeper understanding of yourself and how you move through the world. Whether you’re in the middle of a crisis or just feeling a vague sense that something isn’t quite right, this space is here to help you explore, understand, and grow.

Philosophy

My philosophy is shaped by years of experience as both a clinician and a researcher, which means I prioritize approaches backed by solid evidence — whether we’re talking about therapy, medication, or the intersection of both. But beyond the science, I bring genuine curiosity to understand who you are and how your mind works. I believe in doing this work with honesty, transparency, and a healthy dose of humor to ease the heaviness. Together, we’ll explore what’s going on beneath the surface, weigh options openly, and build a path forward that’s grounded in both clinical expertise and a deep respect for your individual story.

FAQ

Is everything we talk about confidential? Yes. With very few legal exceptions (like immediate safety concerns), what you share stays private. This is your protected space.

How long will therapy take? It’s different for everyone. Some people come for a few months to work through a specific issue, while others stay longer to explore deeper patterns. We’ll check in regularly about how it’s going and what feels right for you.

Is it okay if I don’t know exactly what I want to work on? Absolutely. Many people start therapy just knowing something feels off. Part of our work is figuring out together what matters most to explore.

Can therapy help even if I don’t have a “diagnosis”? Definitely. Many people come not because they have a formal disorder, but because they’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or want a deeper understanding of themselves. You don’t need a label to benefit from therapy.

Can we do therapy if I’m also seeing someone else for meds, or viceversa? Yes. I often coordinate care with psychiatrists, primary care doctors, or other specialists, and with your permission, we can make sure everyone stays on the same page. However, having both medication and therapy managed by the same provider can offer some real advantages. It allows for a more seamless understanding of how your symptoms, life stressors, and deeper patterns interact — so adjustments in medication and therapy can be better timed and tailored to you. It’s a more unified approach that many people find leads to smoother, more effective care.

What if I’ve had bad experiences with therapy before? That’s more common than you might think, and worth talking about openly. We can go at your pace, revisit expectations, and see if this feels different. There’s no pressure.

Do we have to talk about my childhood? Not unless it’s helpful. Sometimes looking back makes sense of current struggles, but we’ll only go there if it feels useful and you’re ready.

What if I get emotional or say something embarrassing? Then you’re probably doing meaningful work. Therapy is a space where you don’t have to filter or keep things tidy. It’s okay — and often necessary — to be raw, awkward, or vulnerable here.

What if I decide therapy isn’t for me? That’s completely okay. Therapy is voluntary and collaborative — you’re never trapped. If at any point it doesn’t feel right, we can pause, adjust, or we can help you find other support.

How do I know if you’re the right therapist for me? The best way is to try a session and see how it feels. A lot of therapy’s power comes down to the relationship itself — if we click, that’s often more important than any particular method.