How do you go about supporting and helping clients?

While I certainly have beliefs about what might be the best way to approach and support people, I do not believe I know definitively what that looks like for each person.

In other words, I don’t believe the best fit or approach is something that’s theoretically fixed, but rather, it is practically worked out. I believe how we get it “worked out” is through the means of open dialogue and conversation about what works and what doesn’t.

To even begin having this dialogue, I believe the therapeutic space created must be Safe, Sacred, and Supportive.

Safe
Feeling safe enables us to wrestle through the complexity and gravity of the challenges that we face. I endeavor to create a space where judgment is continually expelled and curiosity is consistently enacted.

Sacred
To produce a different outcome, we often need to experience something out of the ordinary. I believe that when we can experientially encounter something that’s both new and therapeutic, it creates the possibility to engage in situations, relationships, and challenges in a new way that’s conducive to reaching the goals we long for. I am committed to creating a sacred space that is therapeutically distinct from the everyday conversation.

Supportive
In the absence of a felt-sense of support and security, it can be difficult to push forth in any effort. On that note, I am dedicated to maintaining a positive regard and presence of encouragement. I will say, however, that being supportive does not mean I will not question or challenge. While I endeavor to provide unconditional support, this ought not be conflated with unconditional affirmation.

In the context of the above foundations, I generally utilize the Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) modality to engage and support clients. However, I also maintain an integrative approach to psychotherapy where I draw from modalities such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Internal Family Systems Theory.