Individual and Queer Group Psychotherapy
Based in Austin, TX and Serving 31 States
My Approach
My therapeutic style is warm, relational, experiential, and direct. I help clients slow down, cultivate curiosity, and deepen their emotional experience in the presence of a non-judgmental other. While understanding cognitive and behavioral patterns is important, I place greater emphasis on emotions; beliefs; and relationships with self, others, family, culture, and systems in the therapy space. In my work, I draw from relational cultural, feminist, experiential, psychodynamic, and emotion-focused approaches.
I also work with clients, who hold both privileged and marginalized identities, to explore the impact of racism and systemic oppression on our mental health. I strive to make therapy as safe, affirming, and inclusive as possible, especially for BIPOC, queer, and differently-abled individuals, while recognizing that I have also internalized these oppressive systems. As a white clinician, I am aware that my own upbringing and formal education within a culture of white supremacy colors my work and approach, and I am on a lifelong journey of working to unlearn oppressive systems.
VALUES AND POINT OF VIEW
Ability Inclusive
As an able-bodied and neurotypical therapist, I believe in working to create safety and inclusion in my practice and community for people who have cognitive or physical differences. I commit to being strengths-focused and to work on finding ways to live a full and meaningful life. I commit to being open to and supportive of people who have visible or invisible ability differences of all natures. I welcome using virtual appointments for those who can best access therapy from home, and can work with clients in using assistive technology to make therapy more accessible.
Queer Affirming
As a cisgender, queer therapist, I welcome people of all gender identities and expressions and people of all sexualities and relationship orientations. I commit to creating a safe space for this community in a historically unsafe environment. The mental health field has a dark history of pathologizing and shaming the queer community. I am open to exploration of gender, sexuality, and relationship style in all its many forms. I commit to being open, supportive, non-shaming, and understanding.
Cultural Humility and
Anti-racism
As a white woman, I am on a lifelong journey of unpacking my whiteness and the role I play in perpetrating white supremacy. I acknowledge that I have been trained in white, Eurocentric models of therapy. I am working toward making my therapeutic work more culturally responsive, and I remain open to feedback about my approach. I aim to create a safe space for BIPOC clients in a historically unsafe and pathologizing setting. I also commit to working with white clients on how we perpetuate racism and white supremacy, directly and indirectly.
Health at Every Size Aligned
I approach the relationship with food and exercise/movement from a Health at Every Size approach. I support folks in navigating a relationship to food, exercise/movement, and their body that is respectful, honors internal wisdom, and addresses personally meaningful goals for health outside of the confines of body weight and size. I also commit to challenging fatphobia and the thin ideal in my work and personal life.
Inherent Dignity and Worth
I ardently believe and operate from a stance of believing in the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings. I do not believe that worth and value need to be earned or proven throughout our lives. I commit to undoing shame, feelings of aloneness, and the experience of "not enough" in all people.
