Counseling Services
Individual Counseling
I have been trained in many different modalities. I use an eclectic approach with a strong emphasis on Positive Psychology. Positive psychology contrasts with standard interventions for depression by increasing positive emotion, engagement, and meaning rather than directly targeting depressive symptoms.
Positive psychology emphasizes meaning and deep satisfaction, not just fleeting happiness. Martin Seligman, often regarded as the father of positive psychology, has described multiple visions of what it means to live happily, including the Pleasant Life (Hollywood’s view of happiness), the Good Life (focused on personal strengths and engagement), and the Meaningful Life. Positive psychologists have explored a range of experiences and behaviors involved in different versions of positive living, including specific positive emotions, "flow" states, and sense of meaning or purpose.
EFT Couples Counseling
I have received extensive training in EFT Couples Counseling.
EFT looks at how individuals process their experiences, particularly their emotional responses, along with how partners interact together in patterns. The therapist aims to guide the distressed couple away from rigid, harmful, and destructive ways of reacting and toward sensitive, flexible ones that support intimate and secure bonds (Greenberg, 2015; Johnson, 2020).
Johnson (2020) describes the process of EFT as a journey, moving from:
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Feelings of alienation to emotional engagement
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Defensiveness and self-protection to taking risks and being open with one another
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Feelings of hopelessness within the relationship dance, to being able to “actively create the dance” (Johnson, 2020, p. 14)
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Attributing blame to the other person to understanding how they may be making it difficult to be caring and responsive
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Focusing on the other’s faults to exploring one’s own concerns, fears, needs, and longing
Above all else, EFT encourages the often-tricky move from isolation to connectedness. Helping both partners expand and change their inner experience requires considerable skills, impacting their self-awareness and relationship with their partner and ultimately leading to new responses and ways of interacting (Greenberg, 2015; Johnson, 2008).
