Relational psychodynamic therapy informed by humanistic values

My approach to therapy is grounded in understanding how early relational experiences continue to influence how people see themselves, relate to others, and make meaning of their lives. These patterns often operate outside of awareness, shaping feelings and relationships in ways that can feel confusing or painful.

In psychodynamic therapy, we pay attention to inner processes that undergird problems or symptoms: feelings that are hard to articulate, the patterns that repeat across relationships, the ways people learned to protect themselves that once made sense but now create distance from what they want or need.

At the same time, I draw from humanistic traditions that emphasize each person's capacity for growth, self-understanding, and meaning-making. This means seeing people as more than their symptoms or patterns: as whole human beings with inherent worth, navigating the complexities of existence, as best they can.

We also pay attention to what unfolds between us in session, as the therapeutic relationship becomes a window into how someone relates more broadly, and can provide an opportunity to experience and practice relating to others in new and more conscious ways.

This approach is collaborative and curious. Rather than me interpreting from the outside, we explore and collaborate to make connections between past and present, notice what emerges in the room, and work towards a richer understanding of your internal experience.

While my approach is best for those who wish to understand themselves and their experiences more deeply, I make an effort to adapt my approach to each person, and I draw from several different therapeutic modalities in my work, depending on each individual’s needs.

What happens in this work:

We take time to explore rather than rushing toward solutions. There's room to sit with ambivalence, to understand conflicting feelings, and to consider questions which have no easy answers. We pay attention to how feelings from past relationships show up in present ones, including in the therapeutic relationship itself.

Over time, many people find that patterns which felt fixed begin to shift. There's more access to feelings that were previously warded off or hard to reach. Relationships, including the one with oneself, become more flexible and authentic. The harsh internal voices that once felt like unchangeable truth begin to soften.

This work might resonate if:

Someone senses their difficulties stem from patterns that go deeper than current circumstances. They're curious about understanding not just what they feel, but why: how their history lives in the present. They want a therapeutic relationship that can hold complexity and ambivalence, where insight develops through exploration rather than advice. They value both understanding where patterns come from and their own capacity for growth and self-determination.

How we work together

Individual Psychotherapy

I work with adult individuals experiencing anxiety and OCD, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, and questions about identity and meaning. From a psychodynamic perspective, these struggles often reflect underlying conflicts, unprocessed experiences, or relational patterns that developed early and persist outside awareness.

In our work together, we explore how past experiences shape present life and examine what happens between us as a way of understanding broader relational patterns. Developing a deeper understanding of yourself and your experiences leads to the ability to make more conscious choices and create meaningful change.

Long-term Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic work often deepens over time. Long-term therapy offers the sustained relationship and continuity needed to work through entrenched patterns, explore complex dynamics, and develop a different way of being with oneself and others.

This ongoing work is for people who sense that their struggles are rooted in longstanding patterns, who want to understand themselves at a deeper level, or who have tried other approaches and know they need something more exploratory and sustained.

What shifts through psychodynamic work

Through exploring how the past lives in the present, people often find:

Greater self-understanding - Patterns that felt bewildering begin to make sense. There's clarity about why certain situations trigger particular feelings, why relationships unfold in familiar ways.

More emotional freedom - Feelings that were once overwhelming or inaccessible become more tolerable. There's less need for rigid ways of managing anxiety or distress. A wider range of emotional experience becomes available.

Increased self-acceptance and self-trust - The harsh internal critic, often an internalized voice from the past, loses its grip. There's more compassion for all parts of oneself, including the parts that feel unacceptable.

Shifts in relationships - As internal patterns shift, external relationships often change too. Old dynamics become less compelling. There's more capacity for genuine intimacy and authenticity.

Integration - Conflicting parts of experience that once felt irreconcilable can be held together. Life feels more coherent, less fragmented.

This work isn't about becoming someone different. It's about understanding how you developed, what served you at one time but no longer does, and what becomes possible with greater self-knowledge.

Beginning therapy together

For those who find this approach resonates, the first step is a free fifteen minute consultation where we can talk about what brings you to therapy and whether working together feels like a good fit.