Our practice provides psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. A psychoanalytic approach to treatment offers a comprehensive and nuanced framework for addressing trauma, anxiety, depression, identity struggles, self-esteem, and a sense of self.
This therapeutic approach focuses on interpersonal relationships and the social contexts that contribute to your psychological well-being. When working with us, our aims include exploring and trying to understand the impact of relationships, communication patterns, and social dynamics on the development and maintenance of suffering. The beginning of treatment often includes looking at suffering in this way for the first time. So often symptoms are talked about from a purely biological or medical perspective which can lead to ongoing confusion regarding why someone is feeling the ways they do.
Identifying the complexity of suffering is essential for healing.
Our approach to working can be summarized as follows:
Exploration of Interpersonal Patterns:
Our work will involve a thorough exploration of your current and past interpersonal relationships. We’ll consider your communication styles, attachment patterns, and how you relate to others. Through a better understanding of these patterns and working towards developing new ones, healing happens.
Focus on Cultural and Social Roles and Expectations:
It is vitally important that we examine social roles and expectations that have become internalized (taken in and become part of yourself), which can impact your self-esteem, form aspects of identity, and contribute to suffering. Looking collaboratively together at societal and cultural influences on your self-perception can help to challenge unrealistic or negative social expectations that may be contributing to your suffering.
Communication Analysis:
Communication is a key focus in my work. We will draw attention to how you express your emotions, needs, and concerns in relationships. The exploration of communication patterns helps identify potential sources of miscommunication, emotional distance, or conflict that may contribute to suffering.
The Therapeutic Relationship:
By exploring how our relationship unfolds in real time together, insights can be gained into relational patterns that extend beyond the therapy room. This awareness facilitates a deeper understanding of interpersonal difficulties and provides an opportunity for new forms of growth. The goal is to empower you to navigate relationships with other people and with yourself more effectively.
Medication Treatment
We also provide careful expert medication management that is informed by our therapeutic work together. When necessary, we may recommend and prescribe medication. Prescribing medication is always done in a collaborative manner.
We only prescribe medication for patients currently seen for psychotherapy.
Our areas of specialty include the following:
Trauma: developmental trauma and adult onset trauma
Depression and depressive disorders including bipolar depression
Anxiety disorders
Identity struggles: sexuality and gender, class, ethnicity
Feelings of worthlessness, struggles with self-esteem or self-confidence
Relationship struggles
Coping and living with cancer or other major medical illnesses
Grief and loss
Existential concerns