About My Practice & Myself
All therapists have a unique approach and philosophy. Learn more about who I am and how I approach our work together to see if we're a good fit.
Our work together:
Ever since I took a philosophy class in college, I have oriented my career decisions toward doing “worthwhile work.”
While I am an introvert - and am supremely happy running, biking, and hiking alone for hours on end - I also get filled up by connecting deeply with others.
For this reason, I chose psychotherapy as my professional path to do worthwhile work.
In this role, I have the incredible privilege of being invited into other people’s lives as a trusted co-traveler. I can connect with others on a deeper level than is ordinarily possible in our day-to-day lives and use my training and experience to provide support in whatever way is most beneficial to my client at that time.
That may look like:
Processing: where I provide open space for my client to share what is on their mind and offer guidance in the form of questions and reflections. Insight or a sense of relief may result.
Or,
Skill-building: where we brainstorm and strategize different approaches to challenges in my client’s life. With this, I emphasize an experimental approach. With humility and curiosity, we try things out. If they work, wonderful! If not, there is valuable data to be gained from that experience that will help us fine-tune our next strategy. There is never an end of the road; there is always more to be learned and different approaches to be tried.
About Me
I have a wife and young son and we're thrilled to be living in Upper Manhattan in New York City.
I am originally from outside of Greenville, South Carolina, and we moved to New York for an adventure (pre-baby). We have found it offers a lovely and unique mix of a lot of our favorite things. I can go for a bike ride into the Hudson Valley in the morning and to a Broadway show in the evening while interacting with a fascinating collection of people along the way.
A few of the things that fill me up the most are live music, baseball games, hearing my son’s laugh, and sitting by a campfire with my wife.
My Approach
My work as a psychotherapist is rooted in mindfulness. Specifically, this means that I frequently bring my clients back to the present moment to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with non-judgment, curiosity, and compassion.
It also means that I have an unwavering belief in the basic goodness of all people.
I view common mental health challenges, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety, as manifestations of the pain, fear, and wounds we carry with us and which have not yet healed properly.
I believe that by compassionately and bravely addressing the fear and pain in our lives we can unlock our tremendous, innate potential for health and growth. I strive to provide a safe and supportive setting in which that potential can be realized.
I view the therapeutic process as consisting of a balance of processing and skill-building, individualized for each client. Drawing on my training in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), I support my clients in working towards both acceptance and skillful action, learning concrete skills with which to address specific challenges in their lives.
When a client feels stuck in their growth due to a past trauma or challenge, I invite them to participate in EMDR therapy, which can facilitate the brain's reprocessing of past experiences into a more integrated and desensitized form.
I have experience working with a variety of populations, including finance professionals, public school teachers, and older adults.