I consider myself a trauma-informed, integrative therapist, meaning I draw on aspects of various approaches with sensitivity to people's preferences and an awareness of how past experiences influence the present. Among them are cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, a modality focusing on the interrelationship among our behaviors, emotions and thoughts. Having worked mainly with adults experiencing various challenges – anxiety, depression, behavioral and substance addictions, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, a history of trauma and related symptoms – I have found that how we act and think profoundly affects our emotional state, and vice versa. In addition, my work is informed by aspects of Emotionally Focused Therapy, which regards emotions as richly informative and catalysts for transformation.
Other approaches I have experience with include exposure and response prevention, or ERP, a behavioral therapy considered the gold standard for working with people with OCD; and acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, another behavioral approach meant to help people clarify and live according to their values.
At times, I may take a more nondirective approach to therapeutic dialogue, called motivational interviewing, that is meant to assist people in making positive changes. And depending on the therapeutic dynamic -- for example, if you prefer a more directive approach at times -- I am comfortable assuming a more active role, offering solicited perspectives and suggestions.
As for my existential orientation, how I understand the human condition is rooted in a Judeo-Christian worldview. Of course, whether or how that shows up in our sessions depends on your preferences, as I work with people in the context of their own beliefs and values.