Therapy that works from the neck up — and the neck down

You've probably heard the advice: talk it out, think it through, reframe it.

A lot of traditional Western therapy often works primarily with the intellect — and for good reason. Understanding yourself matters. Going internal, investigating what's happening inside of us, is essential work.

But so is changing the external landscape — how we relate to others, how we want to live, how we want to contribute to the world around us. Thoughts and feelings don't just live in your mind, and real change isn't just an inside job. It shows up in your relationships, your choices, and the life you want to begin building (or have been building).

My approach is integrative, drawing from both sides of the brain — the rational and the creative, the analytical and the felt. Some days we'll work with thoughts and patterns. Other days we'll go somewhere words can't quite reach.

Two wings of the same bird

Effective therapy, I've found, needs two wings to fly.

The first wing is about processing — exploring your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to gain real insight into the issues and long-held patterns that have quietly —or loudly! —shaped your life. This is the deep work: understanding where you've been, why you do what you do, and what's been running on autopilot underneath the surface.

The second wing is about action — taking those insights and translating them into skills, strategies, and concrete lifestyle changes. Because insight alone doesn't change a life. You need tools you can actually use on a Tuesday morning when everything feels like too much.

Both wings matter. Both wings work together. That's what makes lasting change possible.

What that looks like in practice

The rational side — cognitive and behavioral tools

Facts are not feelings — and learning to tell the difference is one of the most powerful things you can do. Using CBT and DBT, we'll examine the relationship between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, finding ways to interrupt patterns that have held you back and build new ones that actually serve you.

The creative side — expressive arts and body-based work

Sometimes your experience is more of a felt sense — something real and present that resists being put into words. This is where expressive arts come in: art, movement, music, writing, storytelling, and nature-based activities. I'm trained to weave these into sessions when talking isn't enough—and you do NOT have to be a trained artist to get into your creative side.

Body-centered work matters here, too. Western science has caught up to what Eastern traditions have long known: mind and body are inseparable. Mindfulness, body awareness, and somatic exercises help you get out of your head and back into the present moment — especially helpful for anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Who I am in the room

I'm steady, intelligent, and do laugh with clients at times. I listen carefully and read between the lines. I'll bring structure when you need it and space when you don't. I hold your history with care — including your culture, identity, background, and everything that has shaped who you are today.

I can’t help but bring my lived experiences too—although I haven’t walked in your shoes, I know what it is like to feel hopeless, overwhelmed, and in pain.

What I want for you

I want you to feel good most days. To stop white-knuckling through and start actually living. To trust yourself again — to know that hard things can come, and you'll be okay.

I want you to know yourself more deeply — what you want, who you are, and what you need. To find the words to ask for it and the confidence to communicate it to others. To know how to take care of yourself, and how to draw on the skills you build in our sessions long after our work together ends. To know when to reach inward — and when to reach outward and ask for help.

That's what we work toward together.

Let’s Talk

Contact me today. It’s never too late to build a life worth living!