Art Therapy, Psychotherapy & Trauma-focused Therapies
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a series of conversations with a licensed mental health professional to shift perspective, overcome obstacles, and experience growth in one's life. It is both a science and an art. It relies on well-researched principles, theories, and techniques considered effective in helping people create change and challenge unhealthy patterns, thoughts, and behaviors. Over time, a reflection of the client's life develops through the therapeutic relationship.
Psychotherapy can address a wide range of issues, from stress, life transitions & relationship challenges to more complex mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Its primary goal is to build and maintain a trusting therapeutic relationship characterized by empathy, respect & positive regard to effect change and support clients in experiencing a more fulfilling life.
While scientific theories and techniques provide the foundation, effective therapy requires an ability to tune in and patiently develop an understanding of the nuances of a person's story while also applying creative, out-of-the-box thinking to support their growth. A level of humanness needs to exist when working with clients seeking mental health support. When people feel seen and understood in a safe, non-judgmental space, they can experience hope and realize their potential.
A psychoeducation component is often a part of therapy to provide clarity about symptoms and how traumatic life experiences directly impact the brain and nervous system. I tend to go heavy on teaching clients about the brain, how it responds to trauma, the science behind neuroplasticity, and the subconscious/unconscious mind. Understanding how the brain (and mind) work is pure empowerment. Regardless of the topic, I would put it at the top of any psychoeducation list. This teaching component can take place at the onset of therapy but is more likely to happen throughout the process as the need for new information becomes relevant. This lays a foundation for a collaborative process and grounds the therapy as needed. Through understanding the science or the "why" of their experience, clients gain a new perspective and can move forward with greater self-awareness.
I view my personal style as a psychotherapist as an authentic, non-judgmental collaborator & guide in a layered healing process. Each meeting offers another piece of the puzzle and a more profound understanding of how the different pieces contribute to the big picture of a person's story. The complexity of the mind is beautiful and unfathomable, and it often becomes apparent at some point in the process that there can be more than one possible outcome in a person's life. I love lightbulb moments when clients truly realize that they determine the outcome if they learn to harness the mind through changing thoughts, regulating emotions, and releasing trauma, thereby shifting their entire trajectory.
YOU are your own Healer.
The principal aim of psychotherapy is not to transport one to an impossible state of happiness, but to help the client acquire steadfastness and patience and the face of suffering.
– Carl Jung
Creative Arts Therapy
When words are not enough, we turn to images and symbols to tell our stories. And in telling our stories throughout, we find pathways to wellness, recovery and transformation.
– Cathy Malchiodi
Creative Arts Therapy is a mental health treatment modality that incorporates the creative process (drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, writing) into therapy sessions in conjunction with traditional talk therapy or as a standalone or adjunctive therapy. Art therapists are licensed, Master's-level mental health professionals with specialized training in utilizing the creative process in therapy. No prior artistic experience or skill is needed, and Art Therapy can be utilized with people of all ages. I specialize in Art therapy treatment for people from age 17 through adulthood.
The creative process can be a powerful way to tap into complex emotions and access memories or experiences that may have been buried deep in the unconscious mind. This makes thoughts and feelings challenging to articulate and, at times, completely inaccessible. When this occurs, words alone are not effective in fully integrating experiences.
Trauma is stored as sensory information in the brain (how we experienced the trauma through visuals, smell, touch, taste & sound - flashbacks & triggers are always sensory in nature). The creative process taps into our senses and allows traumatic experiences to be processed in the same way that they are stored. For this reason, Art Therapy can be an incredibly effective tool in processing & integrating trauma. It provides a safe container for clients to develop self-awareness and challenge irrational beliefs by giving them form. Energetically speaking, art therapy can help release stuck trauma in the subtle energy body through externalizing experiences and can impact aspects of every chakra in the 7-chakra system.
If you can take this chaos and make it into art, then you, my dear, are an alchemist.
-Nausicaa Twila
Trauma-focused Therapies
I am trained in the following modalities for addressing trauma & C-PTSD in therapy. CPT & TF-CBT are both considered evidence-based trauma treatments, offering more structured protocols. I utilize aspects of Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Art Therapy, and Polyvagal Therapy as supportive therapies to address the effects of trauma on the nervous system, processing emotions through parts work, and re-establishing the mind-body connection.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
CPT is an evidence-based trauma-focused therapy that combines education about trauma with a structured therapy protocol that can often be completed in 12 sessions. Clients learn to challenge distorted thoughts and beliefs about themselves and the world around them that keep them stuck in unhealthy patterns, thereby reducing the emotional pain that is activated by triggers and flashbacks. A PTSD diagnosis is required for this treatment.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is a structured, evidence-based trauma treatment derived from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It was initially geared toward treatment with children and teens but, in recent years, was adapted for adults as well. TF-CBT educates clients about the impact of trauma specific to their symptoms, teaches mind-body coping tools, and offers strategies to manage symptoms. The initial stages of the treatment act as preparation for the client to eventually develop a trauma narrative. The trauma narrative is a person recounting their story, helping clients integrate traumatic experiences into their lives. I often incorporate the Art Therapy process in TF-CBT treatment as I find that the two modalities complement each other well. This treatment does not require a PTSD diagnosis.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy is grounded in the concept of trauma becoming stored in the body at a cellular level, eventually expressing itself physically. It utilizes techniques to help clients become aware of body sensations linked to unresolved trauma and offers methods to release stored trauma through re-establishing the mind-body connection. In my practice, I use techniques such as breathwork, meditation, co-regulation, resourcing, myofascial-release yoga practices, and guided imagery. Combined with cognitive processing, these approaches help clients self-regulate, integrate, and release stored trauma from the body.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based therapy approach that addresses the internal world of an individual as being comprised of "wounded or protective parts" that develop from experiences of trauma and painful emotions. These different parts often conflict with each other and impede the healthy aspects of the foundational core self, which is seen as the healthy whole. As a result of trauma, these parts become maladaptive and often show up as extreme responses to triggers that keep people stuck in a way of being that impedes growth and healing. These maladaptive parts are thought to "hold" the individual's past traumas and tend to overshadow the core self. The main goal of IFS is to help clients compassionately understand the roles of their inner parts and release the held traumas, promoting integration and recovery and allowing the core self to reach its highest potential.
Polyvagal Therapy
Polyvagal Therapy is grounded in a theory that emphasizes the complexities of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the crucial role that the Vagus Nerve plays in regulating its functioning. This approach teaches clients how trauma affects their nervous system through emotional and physical responses to stimuli and triggers. The goal is to foster a sense of safety and connection through interventions that activate the Vagus Nerve and diminish reactivity to triggers, eventually creating a calm and regulated nervous system.
Energy Psychology
