Understand yourself.
Find courage.
Make changes.
I help people break free from overthinking and self-criticism that keep them feeling stuck, anxious, or unsure of themselves.
My Approach
I believe therapy, and maybe all of life, is about finding harmony, peace, and purpose. Harmony means you’re balanced, calm, open, connected to yourself, and not lost in story.
When people start therapy they’re often lost in a story. The story can be about who they are (usually negative) or who their partner is, or how their life is going, etc. Getting out of that story and sometimes challenging it entirely is where people find balance and strength. Sometimes their problems immediately go away when they notice it was their thinking that created the problem to begin with and there was nothing to solve. Other times, balance helps people make better decisions that are in line with their intuition and with harmony, even if they don’t use those exact words.
My approach combines my own lessons from my Zen practice with common sense, rationality, and careful listening.
It’s not exactly traditional therapy. I try to avoid making assumptions about people and what we really need. Modern psychotherapy has loaded us up with concepts, expectations, scripts for who things are supposed to go and be, including things like relationships, people, success, and therapy itself. I prefer to challenge those rather than accept them. What does a healthy relationship look like? What is a healthy person? How should we relate to our feelings and thoughts? What does growth look like? In 50 years we’ll look back at our assumptions and techniques and feel they’re as foreign as the techniques from 50 years ago seem to us today. I want us to get ahead of that.
I think therapy should be enlightening, fun, challenging, experimental, and interesting. You can read more about my view about therapy under the Narrative Theory section.
How It Works
First, we explore. Our first session is about understanding what brings you to therapy. I’ll ask questions that help us figure out what’s going on, how different aspects of your life are connected, and what you’ve tried in the past. We’ll start to build a picture of how things fit together.
Then, we develop a plan. Once we’ve gathered some insights, I’ll offer my take on what might be driving your challenges and how we can work together to address them. We’ll set a broad course for therapy, but remain flexible as we dive deeper into your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
We challenge the narratives that hold you back. As therapy progresses, we’ll begin to identify and challenge the stories you tell yourself—about who you are, what you’re capable of, and how others see you. These narratives are often at the root of anxiety, self-doubt, and low self-worth. By shifting these stories, you’ll feel more at ease in your relationships and life.
We cultivate your inner wisdom. We’ll summon your inner wisdom and openness to create and reinforce new ways of living, thinking, and reacting and manage them like carefully. We’ll use encouragement, gentle challenges, and metaphor, and your own natural brilliance to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Common Issues I Work With
Anxiety
Depression
Anger
Couples & Connection
Intimacy
Confidence
Vulnerability
Loneliness
Trauma
Meaning
Attention & Focus
Relaxation
Self-esteem
Career
Communication
Ideas & Reflections
Ready to take the next step?
Whether this is your first time seeking therapy or you're returning for a fresh perspective, our work together will be focused on helping you better understand yourself, develop healthier patterns, and make lasting changes in your life.