Teletherapy for Asheville, NC

Are you anxious and navigating more questions than answers? Do you have difficulty trusting your own feelings? Are you tired of putting everyone else's needs before your own? Perhaps you struggle with negative self-talk, perfectionism, and loving yourself. You may wake up to one existential crisis after another and find yourself confused about the future. You might feel disconnected from your inner compass and creative life. You may need support navigating change and loss. You desire therapy because you are ready to grow further and receive support. You are ready to embrace more connection, self-love, and authenticity.

Real change is possible. Successful therapy explores human life in its fullest sense - what we do, what we think, and what we feel - while being grounded in the deep experience of living in a human body. My primary therapeutic framework is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which provides a rich, evidence-based, blend of mindful and somatic interventions, along with a strong cognitive and behavioral orientation. Together, my clients and I examine our deepest values, and how those values are expressed in how we live each day. Our lives are not problems to be solved - they are opportunities to flourish.

My areas of focus include: mindfulness, trauma, adolescence, family systems, parenting and co-parenting relationships, ADHD, anxiety, depression, grief, life changes, stress management, existential matters, and personal growth.

There is a thread that runs through all the painful experiences we have as humans. Whether its depression, anxiety, loss, addiction, an existential crisis, or the myriad of other issues we face, these experiences of suffering all generate the same feeling of aloneness. These stark moments of aloneness are at the heart of our sorrow, and I have spent my life learning how to connect to people having these experiences so that they feel less alone. I feel really passionate about working with couples and groups as well as individuals.

People show up to work with me because they're grappling with a new life situation, processing grief for a lost loved one, managing anxiety or depression, seeking greater connection with others, trying to heal a relationship, or just looking for a safe place to talk things through. I believe everyone has their own inner wisdom, and I want to help people recognize and attune to that wisdom, to help them reverse negative cycles and rewrite stories that create hardship and hold them back from finding meaning, fulfillment, and joy in life.

There is no need to struggle alone, and yet we often do. Our suffering may appear in many different forms, from depression and anxiety, to relationship issues, substance use and more. It’s time to shed this idea that “we have to have it all together” and allow ourselves be human for a moment. In this honest space, my clients tend to become more in touch with their authentic selves and establish beliefs, values, narratives and take steps towards a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Life can be challenging for all of us. Stress, anxiety, and depression in these times are common, and you are not alone. Maybe you are looking for happiness, peace, and stability, but don't know where to start. Or maybe you just want to have a safe space to explore who you really are at your core, and find the sources of meaning and purpose in your life. All humans have an amazing ability to grow and change, and sometimes our struggles are just here to give us a push forward into new horizons. As a therapist, I see myself as someone who helps to facilitate that growth in others.

You’re probably feeling uncomfortable in some kind of way if you're reading this. Maybe it’s something in the world around you like a relationship, your work, family, or another stressor. Maybe it’s more internal and you feel disconnected from a sense of purpose and meaning. Maybe you’re just having a full blown existential crisis. Many of my clients are experiencing some or all of the above. They’re stressed, anxious, feel stuck or overwhelmed. They are struggling to restore a sense of balance and well-being. Most of my clients are between 25 and 50 and addressing a quarter or mid-life crisis. I’m here to help.

Did you know ages 45-55 are just as developmentally rich as adolescence? What if we saw aging as a spiritual path, and our body's symptoms of perimenopause and menopause as guides? A mid-life crisis is often characterized by an anxious sense of "is this all there is?" compounded by stressors related to caregiving, death, divorce, job loss and relationship dissatisfaction. This can create existential questions related to one's identity, purpose and meaning in life. Yet this mid-life chrysalis, is an opportunity to slow down, reflect and become more fully conscious of ourselves as women in the afternoon of our lives.

I specialize in EMDR (processes traumatic memories/core beliefs), Parts Work influenced by Internal Family Systems (systems of protective and wounded inner parts lead by a core Self), and Mindfulness-Based Somatic Therapy (emotions/sensations in the body in the present moment). I also use a variety of other forms of psychotherapy including Hakomi, Contemplative, Person-Centered (Rogerian), Existential, Relational Life Therapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. I provide a safe, nonjudgemental space for you to turn toward your experience. A whole body-mind approach has the ability to transform, much more than talk therapy alone.

Are you living with depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, lack of direction, trauma? I believe that we naturally feel a call to live meaningful, loving lives and know intuitively that this is our best path but we often will feel stuck, unsure, fearful and so take no action. Existential therapy calls this a restricted existence and believes the goal of all therapy is to remove the road blocks that are limiting you from moving toward living your best life.

The loops we live in are the glass ceiling of our life: loops are the patterns, embodied and enacted, that characterize our life. Loops are an inevitable and necessary component of human experience. However, when loops are not working for us, we become limited by them, keeping us feeling stuck, trapped, disempowered, and confused. Owning our loops allows us to own our life. Common loops include: trauma, addiction, relationship dynamics, mood, beliefs, and identity. Push beyond your limiting loops to discover who you are and what your life can be.

My goal is to develop and grow an authentic connection with you so that you feel empowered to put into words what your unique experience is like. We both know that, without trust, you will not feel comfortable sharing about yourself, your life, what you are proud of, and what you are challenged by. Your goals and interests in how to use our therapeutic relationship will determine where we go in sessions, and I am comfortable using elements from several modalities, from reflective and existential to solution-focused and practical, with quite a bit in between, always through a lens of attachment and neurobiology.

I am ready for the patient who is ready for the work. I came to this field after being inspired by some of the great forerunners of the field. Introspective work appeals to my sense of analytical inquiry. I am coming to each session with a readiness to tackle and analyze the problem that is getting between where you are and where you want to be. I love working with substance use/abuse behaviors and have spent a portion of my career investing in patients who are at all levels of recovery. I also enjoy working with patients who just want to make small changes.

I am a seasoned, virtual, private pay therapist. I graduated from the Marriage and Family track at Portland State University where I was trained in strategies and interventions that focus on you and the systems around you. I believe we develop our relationship strategies and our sense of self at a young age in ways that are adaptive to the world, and people, around us. Often times, we bring these old adaptive patterns to our adult relationships even when they are no longer serving us. I can help you to recognize and change these old relationship patterns, including your relationship with yourself, that no longer serve you.

I know how hard it is to seek help when you’re struggling. I get it because I have been there too. You deserve to live fully. You deserve better than scheduling problems, long drives, big bills, and weak outcomes. Maybe you’re afraid it will take years of counseling just to start feeling better. I believe therapy should be a lot more than learning how to cope or survive something. It should help you achieve your goals, thrive in relationships, and live more fully.

Happiness often feels as if it belongs to everyone else. The steps you've taken seem to only go backwards, no matter the intent. Difficult situations and regretful choices trap us in hopelessness. You feel lost even though you feel as if you've been down every path. You are ready for something to change. One thing all my clients hear me say is that “it’s easier for us to choose to be miserable and remain where we are now; however, if we choose to be uncomfortable for just a few moments, we may achieve something we thought not possible.”

My approach is rooted in the experience and belief that we have the answers within. I want my clients to not only survive the challenges they are facing, but to thrive and live a life that they love. My clients are often incredibly intelligent, creative, and driven. I have seen my clients accomplish amazing things when they get clear on their goals and apply their gifts toward a fulfilling and meaningful life. My goal is to help you get beneath the layers (often thoughts, behaviors, and relationship patterns) and get down to your core. Much of our work focuses on aligning your decisions and actions with your own truth.

My ideal client is any adult looking to create change in their life by being willing to change how they relate to their internal thoughts and feelings. This has a wide application for individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, life transitions, interpersonal difficulties or just the stress of a post-pandemic world. I have a particular passion for working with those who have experienced developmental trauma and are looking for new ways to relate to themselves and their pasts.