I specialize in psychodynamic psychotherapy (a “light” version of Freud’s armchair psychoanalysis) and incorporate CBT, as needed. If you are seeing me for psychotherapy, medication management is included in the session.

This type of evidence-based therapy is a therapeutic approach rooted in psychoanalytic theory (think Freud) that aims to explore and understand the underlying processes influencing a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

By finding these deep emotional conflicts originating from early life experiences, people who do psychodynamic psychotherapy have noted longer-lasting, sustainable, and significant reduction of depressive and anxious symptoms. If you are reflective and thoughtful, you might be someone who could benefit from weekly therapy to get to the root cause of problems.

This is generally a longer-term psychotherapy treatment (e.g. 6+ months – 10+ years) done about once or twice a week.

Sarah's Situation:

Sarah is a 28-year-old woman who finds herself repeatedly attracted to emotionally unavailable partners. Despite her efforts, her relationships often end in heartbreak, leaving her feeling abandoned and unworthy of love. She decides to seek help from a psychodynamic therapist to understand why this pattern continues to occur in her life.

Exploration in Therapy:

During her therapy sessions, Sarah and her therapist delve into her past, focusing on her early childhood experiences. Sarah recalls that her father was often absent due to work and her mother was emotionally distant, preoccupied with her own issues. As a child, Sarah felt neglected and craved her parents' attention and affection, but she rarely received it.

Unconscious Conflicts Uncovered:

Through their work together, Sarah's therapist helps her uncover the unconscious conflicts rooted in these early experiences. Sarah's adult relationships mirror her childhood dynamics—she unconsciously seeks out partners who are emotionally unavailable, replicating the familiar yet painful feelings of neglect and abandonment she experienced with her parents. This pattern is a way for her to unconsciously attempt to resolve the unresolved conflict of seeking validation and love from her parents.

Therapeutic Process:

By bringing these unconscious patterns to light, Sarah begins to understand the connection between her past and present behavior. She explores the feelings of hurt, anger, and sadness associated with her childhood and learns to process these emotions in a healthier way. Over time, Sarah develops greater self-awareness and starts to make conscious choices in her relationships, seeking partners who are capable of providing the emotional support and connection she desires.

Outcome:

As Sarah works through these psychodynamic conflicts, she breaks the cycle of unhealthy relationships. She gains a better understanding of her worth and learns to set boundaries, ultimately leading to more fulfilling and stable relationships.

This example illustrates how psychodynamic conflicts from early life experiences can influence adult behavior and how psychodynamic psychotherapy can help individuals gain insight and resolve these deep-seated issues.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors. CBT helps individuals understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and actions, and teaches practical skills to manage and reduce symptoms of various mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and stress. By challenging and modifying unhelpful beliefs and behaviors, CBT empowers people to develop healthier coping mechanisms and achieve better emotional well-being.

CBT will generally involve homework in the form of worksheets that will be given by me. CBT is often short-term (e.g. 6-12 sessions) but can be extended to be longer.

Duration:
45, 60 minutes

Frequency:
Weekly or twice weekly

Rates are determined by increments of time and by the age of the patient. Please inquire about rates during your consultation.

At this time, I do not accept insurance. Please refer to the policies section for more details.