Grounded in evidence. Adapted to you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most thoroughly researched approaches in modern psychology. At its core, CBT rests on a deceptively simple insight: our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. When we learn to notice and gently challenge the unhelpful patterns in our thinking, we can change how we feel — and how we act.

What this looks like in session:

We’ll slow down and examine the automatic thoughts that surface when you’re stressed, anxious, or low. Together we’ll ask: What’s the evidence for this thought? Are there other ways to see this situation? What would I tell a friend who had this thought? Over time, this kind of honest inquiry creates real, lasting shifts — not just insight, but change you can feel.

CBT is structured and collaborative. Many clients appreciate having concrete tools they can practice between sessions. Think of it less like excavating the past and more like learning a new language for your inner life.

Good for: anxiety, depression, panic disorder, social anxiety, perfectionism, negative self-talk, insomnia (CBT-I)

Some experiences leave a mark. They get “stuck” — the memory stays vivid, the body braces as if the danger were still present, and ordinary triggers can send us right back. EMDR was developed specifically to address this kind of unprocessed trauma, and decades of research confirm that it works.

How it works:

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — most often following my fingers with your eyes, or gentle taps alternating left and right — while you briefly attend to a difficult memory. This process activates the brain’s natural information-processing system, allowing stuck memories to be metabolized and stored in a less distressing way. Many clients describe the experience as the memory “losing its charge” — it becomes something that happened, rather than something that’s still happening.

EMDR is not hypnosis. You remain fully present and in control throughout. We move at a pace that feels manageable, and we spend time on preparation and stabilization before processing any difficult material.

Good for: trauma and PTSD, childhood adverse experiences, grief and loss, phobias, single-incident trauma (accidents, medical events), anxiety with strong body-based activation

Mindfulness is not about emptying your mind or achieving a permanent state of calm. It’s about learning to be present with whatever is actually happening — including the uncomfortable parts — without automatically reacting.

What this means in practice:

We’ll weave mindfulness into our work together in ways that fit your life. This might include brief in-session practices, body awareness exercises, or simply learning to notice when you’ve been pulled into a worry spiral or a self-critical story. The goal is to create a little space — enough space to choose your response rather than just react.

Research from fields as diverse as neuroscience, clinical psychology, and medicine consistently shows that regular mindfulness practice changes the brain in measurable ways: reducing the reactivity of the amygdala, strengthening the prefrontal cortex’s capacity for regulation, and lowering baseline levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).

Mindfulness-based approaches I draw from include Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and mindfulness elements within ACT and DBT.

Good for: anxiety and chronic stress, depression relapse prevention, emotional reactivity, insomnia, chronic pain, burnout, wanting to feel more present in daily life

ACT (pronounced like the word “act”) starts from a radical premise: the problem isn’t that you have difficult thoughts and feelings. The problem is the struggle against them — the enormous energy we spend trying to think our way out of anxiety, control our emotions, or avoid the situations that trigger us.

The ACT framework:

ACT works with six core processes: acceptance, defusion (seeing thoughts as thoughts, not facts), present-moment awareness, self-as-context (a stable sense of self that isn’t threatened by changing thoughts and feelings), values, and committed action. Together, these skills build what ACT calls psychological flexibility — the ability to move toward what matters even when the inner weather is rough.

Practically, this might look like exploring what you care about most, noticing when a fear or self-critical story is running the show, and taking small, values-consistent steps even when anxiety or self-doubt would have you wait until you “feel ready.”

ACT is warm, evidence-based, and often uses metaphor and experiential exercises rather than pure analysis. Many clients find it both grounding and genuinely liberating.

Good for: anxiety and chronic worry, depression, perfectionism, life transitions, meaning and purpose, relationship difficulties, avoidance patterns, chronic illness adjustment