Relational Therapy

Mind, body, spirit, relationship—to our selves, to one another, to our environments, No good therapy will ever ignore your entirety. We are complex beings that require multiple elements for survival. Neglect in one area often leads to imbalance in others. Reallign with your sense of purpose by honoring your whole self and relation to others, including your environment. If there are limits to what I am able to do, I have an expanse of resources to which I will direct you.

Relational therapy focuses on the connections between you and others, whether it’s with a partner, family, or friends. Our relationships can deeply impact our emotional well-being, and sometimes, we need help understanding the patterns that show up in these connections. In relational therapy, we’ll explore how your past and present relationships shape your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and work together to improve communication, trust, and understanding.

The primary reason I chose to become a marriage and family therapist is because I believe in the impact of relationships on our lives; therefore, I have spent the past several years consuming current studies on relational therapy.  I bring a curiosity to my practice that invites family dynamics, environments, friendships, and romantic relationships to have a role in one's identity.  I believe relational therapy techniques can be used with anybody - individuals, couples, families, etc.

The number one predictor of satisfaction with the therapeutic experience is the strength of the bond between the client and the therapist. Creating a foundation of trust and comfort for the client is of the utmost importance to me, as it allows us to explore problematic relationships with family, friends, and partners. Through this collaborative journey, you will learn to handle conflict in a variety of social settings and develop relationship skills such as patience, self-confidence, and trust.

I provide therapy from a relational-cultural frame, with attention to how the past affects the present. Relational-Cultural therapy focuses on how connection is a vehicle for healing as well as an outcome of healing. This therapeutic approach also considers how psychology has historically pathologized people based on identity (ex: sex, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sexuality)

I strongly feel that a good portion of successful therapy, involves a healthy and communicative relationship between therapist and client. Relational therapy is based on the idea that mutually satisfying relationships with others are necessary for one’s emotional well-being. Factors such as social status, race, class, culture, and gender, are taken into account and examine the power struggles and other issues that develop as a result of these factors, as well as how they relate to your life.

The way we relate in therapy reflects the way we relate in life. I center the therapeutic relationship as a space to explore your patterns of connection, trust, and vulnerability. Together, we’ll examine how relational difficulties show up in your life—whether in love, family, or work—and use our co-created dynamic as a window into deeper self-understanding. Through this process, we can untangle old wounds, shift unconscious patterns, and cultivate healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

Relational psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of a relationship between a client and therapist in the healing process. It recognizes the relationship as a microcosm of a client's relationships with others and explores patterns of interaction that may contribute to difficulties. Clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills.

I believe the therapeutic relationship is the biggest influence on change. I see a relationship built within the psychotherapy room as a catalyst to repair old attachment wounds, or core wounds. By having a consistent, stable relationship we can safely break down maladaptive relational patterns and practice new ones. A relational approach believes that through the therapist up, down or co regulating with a client they can better tune into their own emotional experiences.

A strong therapeutic relationship between a patient and therapist is pivitor for growth and healing. I have a very relaxed and warm style that is grounded in relational-cultural theory. This means that I focus on building a strong therapeutic connection while exploring relationship patterns, identities, and cultural elements.

I approach therapy from a relational-cultural frame, which means I think that people heal and grow through connection with others, and that our lived experience, culture, and the systems we live in affect our wellbeing and health.

For many of us, problems with our partners can be the most frustrating issues we have to face, leaving us feeling “crazy,” overwhelmed, and miserable. We start our relationships feeling hopeful, buoyant, and exhilarated, believing we have found our “soul mate”. All too often, this dream fades within years, and we do one of two things: we jump from one relationship to another, blaming problems on our partners; or we stay in a miserable union, hurting each other and/or stagnating.

Relational therapy is about strengthening relationship-building skills and addressing issues involving relationships from the past. It can also be defined as building a relationship with one’s therapist. Building connections with others helps initiate individual growth.

Relational therapy focuses on the therapeutic alliance as the key point of intervention. Drawing from various models, relational therapists provide a personalized, focused, and experiential therapy in which one is invited to explore their thoughts, feelings, defenses, and behaviors in the therapeutic moment to better understand how they are experienced and move through life. This modality can be open many complex emotions and opportunities for growth and change.

I provide therapy from a relational-cultural frame, with attention to how the past affects the present. Relational-Cultural therapy focuses on how connection is both a vehicle for and an outcome of healing.

I truly believe the therapeutic relationship is a tool to be used in therapy. I think in order to heal our relationships we need to have a model of a relationship with healthy boundaries that you can depend on, and I try to cultivate that with the folks I work with.

In a new electronic age connecting can be difficult. Connecting with someone long distance can be even more difficult. I work with couples that are trying to navigate more Lon distance relationships feel prioritized, create healthy habits and rituals with one another, and increase overall intimacy and blending of your lives together.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist, most of my training has been in working with couples and individuals on relational concerns. When I am meeting with a couple or an individual, I am always thinking about emotional wellness within the context of the relationships. I have training in Gottman Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, ACT Therapy for Couples, working with open relationships and addressing sexual concerns in relationship therapy