Our sessions will be based around whatever is most important to you that week. Sometimes, this means that we will discuss things that have been challenging you recently, and exploring the ways that these current challenges are related to the issues you are in therapy to address. Other times, we will pick up where we left off in a previous session in order to dive into more targeted trauma processing or deeper exploration on a topic. Sessions are always collaborative, and tailored to ensure that you are getting what you need that day.

Internal Family Systems is a type of therapy that focuses on various aspects (or “parts”) of ourselves that have different perspectives on our experiences, ourselves, and the world around us. For example, one part of you might feel frustrated at your partner because you’re doing more than your fair share of the workload at home, while another part of you might want to keep you from expressing your need for more equal work to your partner because you’re afraid of upsetting them. These are two different “parts” of you having two different responses to the same situation.

Some parts of us take on beliefs about ourselves that we learned during traumatic experiences or relationships, and may show up now as shame, fear, loneliness, low self-worth, etc. Other parts of us do their best to these traumatized parts from getting hurt again or causing pain in our current lives, through things like perfectionism, people-pleasing, putting our own needs last, or even lashing out in anger.

The goal of IFS therapy is to understand and heal these parts, especially those who hold past traumatic or difficult experiences, by developing a confidence trust in your capacity to handle difficult things from a centered and wise place. We will also work together to understand the parts of you that have developed in order to protect you from getting hurt again, even if that has meant doing things in a less-than-optimal way.

I like to meet with potential clients for a free 15-20 minute consultation via video. This is an opportunity for us to get a feel for what it might be like to work together, for you to share a bit about what is bringing you in for therapy, and for you to ask any questions that you might have for me. If we feel that I would be a good fit for your needs, we will discuss next steps and get our first session on the calendar.

Currently, I am not in-network with any insurance plans. However, I am able to provide an itemized receipt (called a “superbill”) for clients to submit to their insurance for Out of Network reimbursement. Please check with your insurance about how Out of Network reimbursement would work for your specific plan. Verification of benefits is the responsibility of the client.

I provide online therapy for people located anywhere in California and Oregon, including Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, Ashland, Santa Rosa, Larkspur, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Lake Tahoe.

Clients who travel between California and Oregon are welcome to attend their telehealth sessions from anywhere within either state.