“We cannot think our way out of patterns we didn't think our way into. We must feel them to heal them.”
How Change Happens: Memory Reconsolidation
At the core of my work is a natural process the brain uses to update emotional patterns. When an old emotional reaction is brought into awareness and met with a new, lived experience, the nervous system can revise that learning.
Rather than talking about change, we support change through direct emotional and somatic experience in the session.
Core Approaches I Use
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Most people are familiar with inner conflict—one part that pushes to succeed, another that worries constantly, or a harsh inner critic. IFS understands these as an organized inner system. We approach your protective patterns with curiosity rather than judgment, allowing vulnerable parts to be unburdened.
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Emotions are meaningful signals of core needs. In our work, we stay close to what is actually felt in the body. When vulnerable emotion is met with steady presence, the emotional brain receives new information, allowing the pattern to update.
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When trauma is held deeply in the autonomic nervous system (such as chronic freeze or dissociation), talk therapy sometimes cannot reach the root. PSIP is a body-based approach designed to resolve these survival states.
Note: In carefully considered cases, legal medical substances (cannabis/ketamine/MDMA) may be used to soften defensive control. This is always embedded within ongoing psychotherapy.
An Integrative Framework
If you are curious about how these different modalities fit together in practice, I have written a detailed overview of my integrative framework.
How We Work Together
Sessions are inward-focused and experiential. We work with what is happening inside you right now—sensations, emotions, and impulses—rather than only talking about stories from the past or the week.
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You are not expected to know "how" to do this correctly. I remain actively engaged, guiding you step-by-step.
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Depth does not mean overwhelm. We move slowly, prioritizing safety and consent. If something feels like too much, we pause and adjust immediately.
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Each session ends with time to settle and orient, ensuring you leave feeling supported and ready to return to your day.