Most of us have not been taught to recognize fundamental needs for connection and security and could use help learning how to communicate effectively to get these needs met. Many of us also struggle with values that may seem opposed to one another, such as autonomy and connectedness. Working with me, you can expect exploration not only of current hopes for personal fulfillment, but of early experiences that set the stage for later patterns of relating to self and others. This process is highly collaborative and client-driven, with a focus not just on personal insight but on building new experiences of connection and authenticity. Identity work related to gender, culture and race, sexuality and relationship orientation is integral for making meaning out of our experiences and relational patterns. You can also look forward to creating new connections with your “internal family system” of protective parts which expands possibilities for decision-making and transforms significant relationships with others.

Work with couples and partners typically involves sessions together as well as individually at first, in order to identify each person’s needs and relational goals. In session, you can expect exploration of each partner’s inner system of different protective parts, identity/role expectations that impact relationship dynamics, templates for intimacy and sexuality (no touch is involved in this process), disconnecting relational patterns, relationship boundary navigation, and inherited legacies of social and cultural oppression, with a focus on emotional experience and meaning-making. I can help you practice courageous communication and develop greater awareness of mind-body connection to heal embedded trauma responses and increase availability for intimate connection. This experiential work can be transformative and life-changing.