Evidenced based approaches
Core treatment methods
Every therapist brings a unique approach to their work, and finding someone you truly connect with matters. The relationship and the method both play an important role in the healing process.
Below is a brief overview of the core approaches I draw from in our work together, so you can get a sense of what sessions with me may feel like.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a well-researched, evidence-based therapy designed to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. While many people associate trauma with major events, EMDR can also be incredibly effective for more subtle or cumulative experiences that have shaped how you see yourself, others, and the world.
When something overwhelming happens, the brain and nervous system don’t always get the chance to fully process it. Instead, the memory can become “stored” in a way that keeps it feeling present—almost as if it’s still happening. This is why you might notice strong emotional reactions, body sensations, or negative beliefs about yourself that don’t seem to match your current reality.
EMDR works by helping your brain do what it was always meant to do: process, integrate, and heal.
Using guided bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or other forms of rhythmic input), we gently activate the brain’s natural processing system. This allows previously “stuck” memories to be reprocessed in a safe, supported way.
As this happens, many clients begin to notice meaningful shifts:
Distressing memories feel less intense and more distant
Negative core beliefs (like “I’m not enough” or “I’m not safe”) begin to soften and change
Emotional reactions become more manageable
The body feels calmer and less reactive
A greater sense of clarity, self-compassion, and groundedness emerges
From a physiological perspective, EMDR also supports nervous system regulation. Experiences that once triggered a strong fight, flight, or freeze response can begin to feel more neutral, allowing your system to return to a state of balance more easily.
The goal isn’t to erase your past, but to help you integrate it in a way that no longer disrupts your present.
EMDR is always done at your pace, with a strong focus on safety, resourcing, and feeling supported throughout the process. You are never forced to go somewhere you’re not ready to go.
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting—it means being able to remember without reliving.
And that kind of freedom is possible.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps you develop a healthier, more flexible relationship with your inner world—your thoughts, emotions, memories, urges, and physical sensations.
So often, when something inside us feels uncomfortable or overwhelming, our natural instinct is to push it away, avoid it, or try to “fix” it as quickly as possible. While this makes sense, it can sometimes lead to feeling stuck—like your life is being shaped more by what you’re trying not to feel than by what truly matters to you.
ACT offers a different path.
Instead of trying to eliminate difficult thoughts or emotions, we work on changing how you relate to them. Through practices like mindfulness, acceptance, and gentle awareness, you can begin to notice your internal experiences without being controlled by them.
From a nervous system perspective, this approach helps reduce the ongoing cycle of reactivity. When we stop fighting our internal experience, the body often begins to settle. You may notice less tension, more space to respond thoughtfully, and a greater sense of steadiness in moments that used to feel overwhelming.
In our work together, we focus on:
Building awareness of your thoughts and emotional patterns
Learning how to make space for difficult feelings without becoming consumed by them
Developing skills to stay present and grounded
Clarifying your values—what truly matters most to you
Taking meaningful, aligned action even in the presence of discomfort
The goal of ACT isn’t to feel good all the time—it’s to help you live well, even when life feels hard.
Over time, many people find that they feel less stuck, less avoidant, and more connected to themselves and their lives. Instead of anxiety, fear, or self-doubt calling the shots, you begin to move in the direction of what matters most to you.
This is how your life starts to expand again—not because everything feels easy, but because you are no longer held back by what you feel inside.
You don’t have to wait until everything feels better to start living. We can begin right where you are.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD and is highly effective for a range of anxiety-related concerns.
ERP focuses on gently and intentionally facing the thoughts, situations, or sensations that trigger anxiety, while learning to respond in new ways—without relying on avoidance, reassurance, or compulsions. Many people with anxiety or OCD find themselves caught in a cycle where distressing thoughts or feelings lead to behaviors aimed at reducing discomfort. While these strategies may bring short-term relief, they often reinforce anxiety over time, keeping the cycle going.
ERP helps break this pattern.
By practicing staying present with discomfort and choosing a different response, your brain begins to learn that the feared outcome is often less likely than it feels, and that anxiety itself is tolerable and temporary. Over time, this reduces the intensity and frequency of anxiety and creates more flexibility in how you respond.
From a nervous system perspective, ERP supports a process of relearning. Instead of your body automatically shifting into a fight, flight, or freeze response, your system begins to recognize that you are safe, even in the presence of discomfort. This leads to greater regulation, less reactivity, and a growing sense of internal steadiness.
Through this work, many people begin to experience meaningful shifts—less fear around intrusive thoughts, a reduced need to engage in compulsions or avoidance, and increased confidence in their ability to handle uncertainty.
I take a values-based approach, meaning exposures are guided by what matters most to you. We’re not just facing fears for the sake of it—we’re helping you move toward the life you want to be living. This might look like re-engaging in activities you’ve been avoiding, allowing uncertainty without seeking reassurance, or showing up more fully in relationships and daily life.
We always go at your pace, with a strong focus on collaboration, safety, and support. You will never be forced into anything you’re not ready for. Together, we build the skills, confidence, and trust in yourself needed to change your relationship with anxiety—so your world can begin to feel bigger, more open, and more aligned with who you want to be.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a compassionate, insight-oriented approach that helps you come to know yourself on a deeper, more connected level.
In IFS, we understand the mind not as a single voice, but as a system of inner parts—each with its own role, perspective, and intention. Some parts may carry wounds from past experiences, while others work hard to protect you from pain, often in ways that made sense at one time but may no longer serve you now.
For example, you might notice:
A part of you that is highly self-critical
A part that feels anxious or on edge
A part that avoids, shuts down, or numbs out
A part that strives to keep everything “together”
Rather than seeing these as problems to fix, IFS helps you understand them as protective adaptations—parts of you that have been trying, in their own way, to help you cope.
At the center of this system is your core Self—a steady, compassionate, and wise presence within you. When we’re connected to Self, we tend to feel more calm, clear, confident, and grounded.
The goal of IFS is not to get rid of parts, but to help you:
Build a trusting, respectful relationship with each part of you
Understand what your parts are trying to protect or carry
Gently heal the wounded parts that hold pain from the past
Create more internal balance and harmony
From a nervous system perspective, this work can be deeply regulating. As your parts begin to feel seen, understood, and less burdened, the system as a whole often softens. Reactivity decreases, and a greater sense of internal safety and steadiness can emerge.
IFS is a collaborative and non-judgmental process. We move at a pace that feels safe, always honoring your readiness and your experience.
Over time, many people find that they feel less conflicted within themselves and more aligned with who they truly are.
This is the heart of IFS—helping you reconnect with your Self, so you can lead your life with greater clarity, compassion, and confidence.
You are not broken. You are made up of many meaningful parts—and all of them are worthy of understanding.