Adults

Most often, some kind of crisis leads an adult to seek help. Whether this is an outer event, a bodily symptom, a persistent feeling state, or patterns with seemingly no way out, something inside is calling for attention.

Persistent or acutely overwhelming stresses can stimulate chronic emergency responses in the body. Because they are designed to keep us alive, these defenses operate from below consciousness, far faster than thought, and organize the system psycho-physiologically in ways that define our perception of situations and options. Whether one tends towards flashes of anger, withdrawal or escape, feeling frozen or collapsed, people-pleasing, or some complex choreography of coping strategies, this is physiology out of sync.

I join as an ally to discover what the body-mind needs to release ungrounded charge, grow its capacity for positive experience, and awaken the intrinsic life-affirming intelligence which is our birthright. Gradually, with growing trust, self-awareness, and meaningful reflection, you can unfold a fuller, expanded, and more authentic version of yourself.

What to Expect in a Session

My practice is informed by a sense of curiosity and the willingness to allow something new to emerge. A spirit of collaboration is at the center of my process. When I introduce children to the playroom, I often use the phrase: “There are many things here that can be used in many different ways.” I may point out a few basic features, but the main point is to provide a protected space where the psyche can unfold and claim more of its wholeness. You, too, are invited to imagine, dream, and create what will happen.

Therapeutic work can evoke complex feelings and non-ordinary states of consciousness. It is generally best to plan for a little quiet time after sessions to integrate and be aware that there is a process of memory re-consolidation that happens over the following five or so hours that it is best to be gentle during.

Play

Play may seem hard to define, but we know it when we see it, and we know when we are in it. Play is a non-ordinary state in which we can experiment, rehearse, and discover new capacities in a positive context. All animals play. Play often appears purposeless, yet it is essential to mental health, physical well-being, social development, and creative expression. Adults can have a much harder time achieving play states than children, but play can offer an important path to healing.

Parenting

If you are a parent or caregiver, you are one of the most important people in that child’s life. Their biology uses you as the reference point for reality, safety, nourishment, and goodness. In the face of this responsibility, you can’t give more than you yourself have. It is never too late, or too early, to bring more support, play, and nurturing contact into your life—especially if your own early history was difficult and you wonder how it could impact your parenting. The more regulated and able to provide co-regulation you are, the more resourced your children will be in facing the world and thriving through its inevitable hardships and challenges.

Location

I currently see adults via telehealth or in my playroom. Telehealth offers convenience and reduced travel time, the office provides opportunities to use the sandtray and expressive arts media, do more body-based activities, and relate in physical presence.