I am a licensed, clinical psychologist. I have also completed formal psychoanalytic training. I specialize in both long- and short-term psychotherapy. I value thoroughness as well as practicality. I draw from many different treatment modalities, depending on your needs. However, fundamentally I work from a psychodynamic orientation that examines the interplay of historical, emotional, social, and biological factors that contribute to your strengths and vulnerabilities.
A psychodynamic orientation takes into consideration that one's thoughts and actions are influenced by feelings—feelings that can be complex, contradictory, and frequently out of one's immediate awareness. By talking and becoming more aware of these feelings and patterned-ways of interacting in the world, life begins to feel more calm, satisfying and hopeful. An essential feature of psychodynamic psychotherapy is that the insight and relief you gain is a function of this talking process; it unfolds by virtue of the therapeutic relationship. This "relational" aspect of therapy makes it much more effective than trying to simply "will yourself" to think or act differently.
While I often use short-term psychotherapy to help relieve symptom-distress, I also think that for some people the best way to maintain this relief is to take a more in-depth approach that examines the foundations from which the problems have sprung.
