a philosophy of practice…

(Long version)  

I have a deep appreciation for autonomy and choice, and I believe autonomy is at the heart of empowerment. I value understanding people’s lived experiences and approaching them with cultural humility. I believe a client knows themselves best, and that, through reflection, inquiry, and curiosity, we can further illuminate their wishes, values, and aims. 

My work is grounded in a long-standing interdisciplinary practice, including in the arts and astrology, and I seek to expand existential and spiritually integrated methods to promote personal and collective resilience. I am interested in the interconnectedness of people, communities, and the natural world, and how subtle shifts in daily living can create meaningful change. 

As a practitioner, I hope to alleviate suffering and empower my clients through psychoeducation, skill development, emotional regulation, inner exploration, and radical self-acceptance. I believe people are whole and change is always possible, there is rarely one right way, and experimentation and play are part of the process.

I view maladaptive coping strategies and addiction as multifaceted responses that cannot be understood apart from attachment, relationships, trauma, biology, meaning-making, and social context. I strive to decenter pathology and understand adaptations as they are shaped by lived experience rather than as defining characteristics. While things like addiction can be destructive, I believe recovery is strengthened by restoring connection, cultivating agency, and finding what makes one feel truly alive. 

I appreciate Resma Menakem’s framing that trauma can become embedded not only in individuals but also in families, communities, and social structures. When decontextualized, trauma can look like a personality trait in individuals, a family norm in families, and may manifest as what looks like culture in communities and societies (Menakem, 2017). This reminds me to understand addiction and other adaptations within broader relational and historical contexts rather than solely as individual problems. 

Theoretical Orientation

Theories I most resonate with are (eco)humanistic, existential, constructivist, and person-centered. Attachment theory is crucial in my understanding of wellness and psychological well-being. It emphasizes the role of relationships, connection, and emotional regulation in both suffering and recovery. An eco-humanistic, person-centered approach emphasizes that people possess inherent worth and the potential for change beyond diagnoses. In an existential frame, anxiety, despair, and other issues often intersect with meaning, freedom, suffering, and responsibility. This perspective reminds me that challenges are a natural aspect of being human, and even the freedom to choose can feel burdensome at times. Through a constructivist narrative orientation, I am interested in how people reconstruct identities; psychotherapy itself can be viewed as narrative reconstruction (Neimeyer, 1993).

Underneath these, I have a deep interest in archetypal depth-oriented perspectives. I like to incorporate imagination, dreams, symbolism, imagery, arts, and other expressionistic practices into my work, including play, music, movement, and ritual. Cinematherapy and other modes of storytelling are also valuable. These approaches appeal to me because they invite creative participation with meaning-making, honoring multiple pathways for self-understanding.  

 Professional Values

In my work with clients I value pluralism, collaboration, humility, autonomy and confidentiality, and trust in each person’s ability to grow and change. Pluralism reminds me there may be multiple solutions, that several things can be true at the same time, and that what is adaptive for one may be different for another. Being present with and curious about clients’ experiences, I strive to inhabit a stance of beginner’s mind. Cultural humility is also deeply important to me, as is being nonjudgmental and having unconditional positive regard. 

In practice, I hope to cultivate a therapeutic relationship grounded in curiosity, collaboration, presence, and respect. I strive to meet clients where they are, listening with openness and inviting exploration. I enjoy asking questions that help clients clarify their values, recognize their strengths, and explore new ways of understanding themselves while remaining attentive to the stories they tell about their lives. Depending on a client’s needs, I may draw on educational models, mindfulness, expressive practices, or more structured interventions, but I trust that clients possess an inherent capacity for growth and that meaningful change often emerges through relationship, reflection, and experimentation. My role is to accompany clients as they discover what feels authentic and life-giving for them. 

Preferred Modalities 

Treatment modalities I feel most aligned with include person-centered narrative therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive approaches, and expressive arts-based or symbolism oriented frameworks. Trauma-focused treatment methods like written exposure therapy, as well as emotionally-focused and somatic or sensate approaches are also important in my work. I value harm-reduction and medication-assisted treatment. Because person-centered narrative therapy is collaborative and highly relational, it empowers individuals toward greater awareness about the stories they construct about their lives and invites them to proactive engagement. The philosophical roots underpinning narrative therapy—social constructionism, post-structuralism, and feminist thought—feel especially valuable and timely. I resonate with Neimeyer’s description of constructivist therapy as “more developmental than symptom oriented, more process oriented than content focused, and more reflective than psychoeducational” (2010). 

Conclusion

My hope is to create a therapeutic relationship where clients feel respected, understood, and empowered to explore new possibilities for healing. Whether working with trauma, grief, addiction, or life transitions, I aspire to integrate empirically supported practice with creativity, curiosity, and deep respect for each person’s unique story and the mystery of life. Recovery and wellness to me is building connection — to oneself, others, purpose, and community.

References

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother's hands: Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Central Recovery Press. 

Neimeyer, R. A. (1993). An appraisal of constructivist psychotherapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61(2), 221–234. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.61.2.221 

Neimeyer, R. A. (2010). Constructivism in psychotherapy: Part I, II [Video]. Internal Family Systems Portugal. https://internalfamilysystems.pt/node/169