SPECIALIZATIONS
eating disorders, trauma & PTSD/C-PTSD, relationship struggles, internal family systems, attachment, and anxiety/depression
EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders are deeply painful. They grow and can take over your mind and your life before you’re even aware of what’s happening, but can often be very misunderstood. If you struggle with an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa/binge-eating disorder/orthorexia, exercise addiction, or anything in between), you know how challenging it is to try and stop behaviors alone. I can help.
I’ve worked on multidisciplinary teams at Residential level of care, Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and standard outpatient care - supporting people struggling with the worst of their feelings around food and body. I’ve moved to outpatient care because I work best when working with people for the long-haul in recovery, especially after they’ve been in treatment already and maybe have not had the best experience. I strongly believe in Health at Every Size (HAES), Anti-Diet, and Intuitive Eating approaches. If you have a dietitian, psychiatrist, or doctor on your team, I’ll collaborate with them on your care. I’m here to help you move towards full recovery and a healthy relationship with food and your body.
COMPLEX TRAUMA & PTSD
“Traumas are the events and situations that overwhelm us, leaving us feeling out of control, helpless and alone … and the difference between a traumatic experience versus a bad or stressful experience is the impact on our body’s ability to recover… bigger traumatic events can activate our natural stress response to such a degree that our nervous system is overwhelmed and dysregulated to the point that this chemical cocktail is unable to be processed and we are left unable to fully recover.” - Polysecure, Jessica Fern
This definition of trauma has resonated with me deeply. Some events are so scarring, it can feel nearly impossible to move past them. You may have tried just “pushing through” on your own, only to feel defeated or overwhelmed with it all, when what we need most deeply is to be able to recover from the impact on our minds and bodies. This may be a result of many repeated traumas that added up throughout your life (such as a relationship where you were minimized or threatened), or one significant event that you can’t put out of your mind.
Over time, the brain doesn’t know how to process these events or how to respond. You may find yourself struggling in day-to-day situations and not always knowing why you’re being triggered. You may find that you’re not ready to go into all of the details - that’s okay! You don’t need to recount everything in order to find relief. I use EMDR and IFS paired with supportive skill building to help my clients move through their painful memories so that you can develop feelings of peace and safety.
RELATIONSHIPS & ATTACHMENT
Fulfilling, connected relationships are an important part to being able to enjoy your life! And we all know what it’s like to have the heaviness of an argument or relationship doubts hanging over your head; it’s hard to be in the present world when you can’t stop thinking about the argument that happened earlier or that unsettled feeling even if outwardly, it seems like nothing is wrong.
I believe that our relationships with loved ones in the present are often affected by dysfunctional patterns from the past, that despite your best efforts, continue to show up today. In learning about how to have more satisfying relationships, we’ll talk about beliefs that you might have about relationships or yourself, difficult thoughts or emotions that block you from doing what you think you should do in a healthy relationship, how to have boundaries with people in your life, and skills for how to manage your relationships moving forward.
ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
Negative self-talk and fears about the future can hold us back from doing things that we truly want. Depression and anxiety are often so isolating and make it difficult to move past what’s hurting you, especially if it doesn’t make sense why you’re struggling. My hope would be to help you identify what you want to change, to decrease the racing thoughts and hazy, empty days, to support you in changing the negative beliefs you have about yourself and the world — and move towards a more fair and balanced view of yourself where you can explore what makes you happy again.
ADDITIONAL AREAS OF PRACTICE
In addition to what’s listed above, I’m experienced with:
Personality Disorders
Psychosis
Identity Concerns
Perfectionism
Self-Esteem Issues