Therapy of depth, wisdom & transformation

Jungian Psychotherapy

I work from a Jungian therapy mindset which means that I am deeply curious about the unconscious wisdom moving in your life and calling you to growth and deep change. You are not just a list of ways you have been hurt and behaviors you have learned as a result. You are a deeply mysterious, powerful, and wonder-inspiring being. I am honored to sit with you, an amazing human, as you explore the depths of your past, the breadth of your emotional, mental, and spiritual resources and connect to that which is at the root of all human longing: connection, meaning, wonder, and joy.

Your whole self is welcome in my therapy room, your glimmers of intuition, your dreams (and nightmares), your spiritual practices, your ancestral and personal traumas and strengths, your skills, and your wisdom. Ritual is an important and instinctual part of being human and ritual figures into all of my therapy sessions. Whether you prefer to weave breathwork, tarot (or other archetypal imagery), meditation, dream work, or other practices into your sessions we will acknowledge the sacredness of the therapy space through practices that set it apart as different from, and vital to, your everyday life.

Like Jung, I practice long term therapy. Over and over research has revealed that what is most healing in psychotherapy is the relationship, not specific techniques, or manualized therapy approaches (though these also have their place). Relationships take time to form, develop, and mature. Whatever it is you struggle with did not come about overnight, and it will not be truly healed in six insurance mandated sessions. For this reason I work primarily with those who seek a long term healing relationship where they can reorganize their attachment patterns, fully explore the why underneath their unhealthy behaviors and beliefs, and within the radically accepting and supportive relationship build a better, healthier, and more mature future. 

For information about cost, insurance, and to check your benefits click here.

Dream interpretation in Therapy

Jungian therapy uses dream interpretation to dive deeper into the world of our unconcious. Our dreams are our psyche's way of letting us know what needs attention. I use a Jungian influenced dream work method which approaches dreams as stories create by our unconscious speaking to us in the only language it has available: symbols.

Because dreams arise out of our personal unconscious material I do not use AI (ever) or dream interpretation books, and I will not interpret your dreams. Instead I will help you interpret your own dreams. You are the only one who can understand the mysterious imagery and mythic story written by your unconscious. Dreams are not literal, and we approach them without shame no matter how strange or confusing they might seem. What if you never remember your dreams? That's OK. It is not unusual to remember few dreams but most people find that when they start taking care of their dreams and listening to them they find themselves remembering more and more dreams.

There is mounting research that shows that PTSD, trauma, and nightmares are closely related and that treating nightmares is an effective method to treat trauma. We are also learning the ways that nightmares and broken sleep impact all areas of your health. Nightmares are not our enemy, but they can be harmful when they are frequent and recurrent. The good news is that there are evidenced based ways of turning those nightmares into tools for healing. Ways we can explore together.

Tarot for Therapy

Why tarot you ask? Isn't that all woo woo weirdness for gullible people who think some paper cards can predict the future? When we work with tarot we do not view it as a predictive medium. Rather, tarot, like our dreams utilizes archetypal imagery (another concept from Jungian therapy) that is present in our shared cultural unconscious. Because tarot uses images that have cultural weight and meaning it can help us confront things we have been avoiding, or see a situation or people from a different angle than we'd been able to in the past.

Used therapeutically tarot is a way of exploring your own rich context and making associations you might never have noticed before! The way we use tarot in your sessions is really up to you. Some people like to pull a card and see what the images connect to from their week, or in their past as a way of breaking through overwhelm or feelings of being stuck. Others like shuffling through a deck to find a card that represents (for them) a situation, emotion, memory, or experience they are trying to explore. You might even choose to make your own symbolic cards using collage, drawing, photography, or other art mediums. Tarot (and other archetypal pictures) helps us speak with images when words just aren't enough. Looking for more books on tarot and Jungian therapy? This list is quite good. And my favorites:

• Tarot Psychology: Handbook for the Jungian Tarot
  
• The Jungian Tarot and Its Archetypal Imagery
  
• Discovering Yourself Through the Tarot

Specializations

My training and background have prepared me to work with a variety of issues. But I love most working with women in midlife as they process their trauma, heal generations of broken relationship patterns, and reclaim their voice and power to build a life of meaning and purpose.

• Questions of identity (values, career change, sexuality, gender)
• Trauma, both recent, past, and complex (PTSD & CPTSD)
• Unlearning unhealthy relationship patterns from our family of origin & our past and building new healthy patterns
• Times of transition (e.g. loss, pregnancy, gender transition, life stage transition, career change)
  
• Care-giver issues (adjusting to changes in relationship, care-giver stress, burnout, grief)

Because of my approach, I also see psychotherapy as a process of self care and growth, and especially enjoy working with individuals who would like to use therapy as a  means of self-exploration.

If you are ready to experience the benefits of psychotherapy, tell your own story, and begin to build healthier relationships and a meaning filled life, reach out! I look forward to meeting you.