Methods
Therapeutic Approaches Tailored to Your Needs
“We often find that the harder we try to get rid of emotions and thoughts, the stronger they become. This is because parts, like people, fight back against being shamed or exiled.”
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that helps people understand and heal the complex inner world of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS is based on the idea that the mind is made up of different “parts,” each with its own perspective, emotions, and behaviors. These parts—such as the inner critic, the people-pleaser, or the wounded child—often take on a role to protect us from pain or help us cope with challenges.
At the core of IFS is the belief that everyone has a calm, wise, and grounded center known as the Self. When we access the Self, we can relate to our parts with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment or fear. IFS therapy helps clients build relationships with their parts, gently unburdening the ones that carry pain and supporting the system in finding balance and harmony.
IFS can be effective for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, and self-esteem issues.
Internal Family Systems
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma and chronic stress. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE is based on the understanding that trauma is not just a psychological experience—it also lives in the body.
When we go through overwhelming experiences, our nervous system can become “stuck” in fight, flight, or freeze responses, leading to symptoms like anxiety, irritability, numbness, hypervigilance, or chronic pain.
Rather than focusing on retelling or reliving traumatic events, Somatic Experiencing helps individuals gently tune into their physical sensations and body awareness.
By tracking the body’s natural rhythms and responses, clients learn to release stored tension, complete unfinished survival responses, and gradually restore a sense of safety and regulation in the nervous system.
SE supports healing at a deep, foundational level, making it especially effective for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, chronic stress, and a wide range of physical and emotional conditions.
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.”
“Pain and purpose are two sides of the same thing. A person struggling with depression is very likely a person yearning to feel fully. A socially anxious person is very likely a person yearning to connect with others. You hurt where you care, and you care where you hurt.”
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals live more fully and meaningfully by learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions.
Rather than trying to eliminate pain or control internal experiences, ACT focuses on helping people develop psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present, open up to discomfort, and take committed action toward what truly matters.
At the heart of ACT are six core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion (creating space from thoughts), present-moment awareness, self-as-context (a flexible sense of self), values clarification, and committed action.
Together, these tools help clients stop struggling with the things they cannot control and instead focus on living in alignment with their values. ACT can address a wide variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and life transitions.
It empowers clients to break free from avoidance patterns, connect with what gives their life meaning, and build resilience in the face of life’s challenges.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a powerful, research-backed therapy originally developed to help individuals heal from trauma and distressing life experiences.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses on helping the brain process and resolve painful memories that may be “stuck,” causing ongoing emotional or physical distress.
EMDR works by using bilateral stimulation—often in the form of eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones—while the client recalls a distressing memory.
This process helps the brain reprocess the memory in a way that reduces emotional charge and allows for more adaptive thinking and resolution. The goal isn’t to forget what happened - it’s to feel less triggered by the past and more at peace with the present.
EMDR can treat PTSD, severe anxiety, phobias, grief, performance anxiety, and other challenges. Clients often find EMDR to be a transformative, efficient path toward healing—one that honors their pace and doesn’t require retelling every detail of their story.
“Changing the memories that form the way we see ourselves also changes the way we view others. Therefore, our relationships, job performance, what we are willing to do or are able to resist, all move in a positive direction.”
Any therapeutic approach is often only as effective as the quality of the therapist-client relationship.