Integrative Psychotherapy.

How I Think About Therapy and Healing

My approach is integrative, which I adapt based on each individual’s specific challenges, goals, personality, and past efforts toward healing and growth.

The bulk of my training is in psychodynamic psychotherapy and an integrative, relational approach called Control-Mastery theory. I also have experience with cognitive-behavioral therapy, which involves more concrete techniques that can be helpful in implementing changes or overcoming more immediate, debilitating problems.

An overarching aspect of my approach involves exploring a person’s internal belief system through a framework based on Control-Mastery theory. This theory is based on a model of the mind in which people are both consciously and unconsciously compelled to cultivate strong relationships and general wellbeing. From birth, we reach toward connection and self-actualization. Cooperation and interdependence is how we humans adapted and survived throughout the ages — it’s what we’re wired to do.

In attempting to do this, as children, we form beliefs about ourselves, others, and the dynamics of important relationships — our internal worldview. These beliefs are developed based on observations made in early life as to how we can get our basic needs met. They are adaptive and appropriate to our specific early environments, but can remain somewhat fixed throughout life. As we grow up, have new experiences, and adjust to new realities, some of these unconscious beliefs are no longer applicable or helpful to our present day lives.

They can hold us back in subtle but significant ways and often contribute to emotional distress or internal barriers toward meeting goals. Based on this same drive, we are pulled to test, disprove, and adjust these unconscious pathogenic beliefs in a way more aligned with present day realities. We unconsciously work to shift our belief structures — about ourselves and others — in ways more adaptive to our present day needs, but doing so requires us to lower our defenses.

This can feel like an emotional risk. Defenses are what we use to keep ourselves safe and maintain the status quo — which is not always optimal, but is typically familiar, safe, and somewhat comfortable. When in a setting we experience as safe, non-judgmental, and secure, we are more apt to lower our defenses and interact with others in a way that helps shift our internal views.

This transformative process can occur through key experiences and relationships in a variety of settings, but psychotherapy and the psychotherapeutic relationship are particularly conducive to this type of exploration and change.

The name “Control-Mastery Theory” reflects this dynamic: we have an innate desire to gain mastery over our pathogenic ways of thinking — to achieve our innate goals. We work toward this by exercising unconscious control over our defenses based on how emotionally safe we feel in a given moment, experience, or relationship.

Many aspects of psychotherapy are helpful, but a key ingredient is providing a relational experience of safety and comfort that allows for insight, desired change, and expression of your authentic self.

A large part of my role is to provide a dedicated space and relational experience where this internal guide can come forward more clearly. I have a fairly interactive style — directive when helpful, but experienced enough to know when to stay out of the way. The process can be difficult at times, but laughter is often a critical component.