Mindfulness-Based (MBCT) Therapists in Downtown, Charlottesville, VA

As a trauma-informed therapist, I am passionate about helping my clients shed their burdens and feel more empowered in their lives. I believe each of us has innate healing powers that that can become overcome by trauma, leaving us feeling stuck, frozen, or in states of panic. I typically blend EMDR with experiential, somatic, and mindfulness techniques. Using these approaches, I will provide you with practical tools to cope with and overcome the issues you are experiencing, while also helping to heal the underlying causes of those issues.

Do you feel chronically disconnected or stuck in unhelpful patterns despite "knowing better"? This misalignment might be affecting your physical health, your relationships, your sense of self, and your visions for the future. While many of the strategies you relied upon in early life were both necessary and adaptive, they can also become what hold you back later in life. What if we explore some of your origin stories and update those defaults to better reflect who you are, instead of who you believed you had to be? What if we deepen your self-belonging, thereby strengthening your capacity to connect more effortlessly with others?

I help individuals find desired change, relief, and insight by increasing understanding and awareness of their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. I teach practical coping skills and guide clients in reprocessing distressing experiences and memories. With a mindfulness and strength-based approach, one technique I offer, as needed, is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing). Through this work together, you'll connect more with your inner, positive voice and truths, and decrease automatic behaviors and thoughts that make "small" issues feel overwhelming, that cause "freezing" or fighting. This results in more comfort with yourself and more confidence with other people or situations.

I am a psychotherapist for adult individuals and couples. Do you want stronger, clearer and healthier relationships? My clients consist mainly of open minded, artistic and unconventional persons wanting more intimacy and connection or wanting to explore their innate gifts and talents. I also work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and non-binary persons. However, I love working with anyone who is seeking growth, wholeness and perspective.

I provide a warm and nurturing environment where clients feel safe to explore their deepest inner selves. Whether addressing adult or parent-child issues, I emphasize the importance of working on one's own emotional and nervous systems as a first step to creating change. My intention is to help people "heal", not just "deal". I use talk therapy and experiential techniques such as Gestalt, Somatic Experiencing, and mindfulness practices. I have found that working with deep emotions embedded in the "felt sense" of one's experience is a powerful tool leading to transformation.

Can you use your mind to reduce your suffering, rather than increase it? Or to increase meaning and depth in your life? You can, but most people need a little help with this. Sometimes a sympathetic family member or wise friend can help a great deal; other times when a knowledgeable, compassionate professional is a better choice. Perhaps your internal life feels out of control, or you're feeling stuck, repeating ineffective patterns of relating to yourself and others. I work with people to help them understand themselves and their situation, manage stress better, and make positive changes happen.