Relational Therapy

Therapy is a very particular kind of relationship, but a relationship none the less. Sometimes dynamics and patterns you experience outside of therapy will find their way into therapy too. This creates a perfect opportunity to work through whatever feelings may be coming up in the moment and to explore them in real time to create deeper understanding and change.

The secret sauce to good therapy is the relationship between therapist and client. This is why you've probably heard so much about "fit." For therapy to work, you need to feel safe. It's not that you'll trust your therapist right away, because trust has to be earned and built. But you'll have the sense you can share personal or vulnerable information with your therapist and they'll hold it close, with love and respect.

A relational approach to therapy means that I will operate as an active participant in your therapy. The foundation of this work is the relationship between you and I and the dynamics that manifest during our sessions as they illuminate and relate to your other relationships. I often use the immediacy of the therapeutic relationship with the goal of increasing awareness and discovering previously hidden processes and beliefs that undermine well-being.

Relational cultural therapy is my main lens of my work. I believe in authenticity with my clients and fostering that in my clients in order to live a fulfilled and meaningful life. Many mental health difficulties can come from internal or external events or ongoing issues that keep us from connecting with others in a meaningful way. With this, cultural context is incredibly important. It is all around around us and a part of us. It is pertinent to consider and work with diversity in everyway.

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.

As humans, we are relational beings. I believe that what transpires in the therapy room is a unique and valuable exchange that enables a non-judgmental, in the moment discussion of how we are impacting one another.

Relationships feeling rocky? Relational therapy is all about understanding and improving the connections that matter most to you. In our sessions, we'll dive into the dynamics of your relationships—whether with partners, family, friends, or even yourself. Together, we'll explore communication patterns, emotions, and behaviors, aiming to foster deeper understanding and harmony. Together we'll create a safe space to explore, grow, and strengthen the bonds that bring meaning to your life.

I also work relationally, using the therapeutic relationship to help clients understand how it feels for them to be in relationship and to experience new ways of being in relationship that can translate to outside the therapy room.

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

Relational Therapy (RT) is an approach rooted in Psychodynamic Therapy. Psychodynamic therapy puts emphases on the psychological cause of emotional pain. Self-reflection and self-examination are its major focus. RT asserts the relationship is in fact what is needed for true reflection, examination, and ultimately change. Major tenants of RT are the therapist's stance, authenticity, presence, reflection, and engagement.

A strong relationship between a therapist and their client is one of the signatories of growth, potential, and healing. I leverage the evidence-based principles behind therapeutic teamwork and draw from psychodynamic, relational, and behavioral modalities, specifically including the research surrounding Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). I also employ the research of Peter Fonagy and others to assist clients with considering a reflective or mindful approach to their lives.

The relationship you have with your psychotherapist is often indicative of how you relate outside of the therapy office. Similar patterns and projections arise -- we use the therapeutic relationship as a way of exploring your core needs and past traumas, and ultimately as a form of healing.

Relational psychotherapy, an approach that can help individuals recognize the role relationships play in the shaping of daily experiences, attempts to help people understand patterns appearing in the thoughts and feelings they have toward themselves. I look at how to bring balance back into your relational agreements, explore consent and how it shows up in your relationship (or not), how to help clarify communication, and look at attachment styles.

I use relational psychodynamic therapy because I see the relationship we build together as the crucible of change: it acts as both a window into your interpersonal world, and also an arena in which you can try on new ways of being. We learn how to see ourselves and the world around in relationship, and this can become known and changed in relationship. In a non-judgmental, compassionate space, we contact and rework the dynamics that keep you feeling stuck, dissatisfied, and in pain.

It is hard to feel content and at peace when there is conflict or strife in your intimate relationship(s). I can help you to reduce conflict, improve communication, and enhance connection. I am experienced in working with open relationships, consensual non-monogamy, and polyamory. As a certified sex therapist, I can help with concerns such as desire discrepancy, sexual dysfunction, and navigating kink / BDSM.