Personal background and how I work
MY APPROACH -- Art and science of therapy
Over the years as a professional helper and therapist I have received consistent feedback that I have a gift as a 'therapeutic presence' with people. As a personality I am emotionally sensitive, warm, empathic. But it's not enough for a therapist to be caring, sincere etc. They should also be knowledgable in their specialty, well-trained, and skilled as a clinician, able to guide clients through every phase of therapy from intake and assessment through the completion of therapeutic goals. In other words, therapy is art and science. I have received consistent feedback that people find my authentic curiosity and acceptance disarming and reassuring. But I am also driven to continue to study learn and grow in my craft. Therapy is not an easy enterprise after all. . Research also shows that the best therapists tend to invest personal time in independent study as well as additional reflection about their clients between sessions. As a therapist I put a high value on personal growth and professional study, and really enjoy the continuing education component of being a professional.
I describe my core approach to therapy as AEDP informed by somatic experiencing. But I also incorporate other tools and interventions such as DBT, CBT, narrative therapy, ego-state (like IFS), and EMDR theory.
AEDP--(Accelerated EXPERIENTIAL Dynamic Psychotherapy)
I describe this approach as a combination of psychodynamic, attachment theory-oriented, and emotion focused (EFT). I absolutely love this approach to therapy. The AEDP model guides me to see my clients through the primary lens of relationships- with self and others- informed by attachment theory, neuroscience and the current state of the science of psychology and emotion. Culturally, this paradigm change can be understood in comparison with CBT, which consider's maladaptive beliefs of the individual organism as the root of emotional suffering.
ACCELERATED-- AEDP is emotion-focused, and rooted in attachment theory. It has a finely tuned understanding of how to set the relational conditions for change. Rapid healing is possible through integration and engagement of the power of emotion.
EXPERIENTIAL-- AEDP guides a therapist to look for signs of life, healing, transformation, and to help heal and expand these innate qualities through exploring our connection in my office. As it turns out, experiencing the positive can be challenging due to our natural negativity bias and environmental programing. The experience of pervasive relational trauma rewires our brains to be dominated by negative emotions for the sake of survival. ut it turns out this can affect surprising and powerful change. I will often invite you to slow down and consider your experience, including emotions, mind, body, and to actively engage it. Along the way we will together explore the emotional and relational obstacles we encounter, with their meanings, and themes of your life-story.
DYNAMIC-- AEDP utilizes components of psychodynamic theory, which is highly relational, and involves helping people encounter their defensive that often block the way to the core emotions, and making explicit transference and countertransference dynamics in the therapeutic relationship. Often exploring the therapeutic relationship can provide insight into a client's life story, and can help elucidate important themes. Insight is an important component to self-compassion, and eventual change.
Somatic Experiencing/SE-- This model was developed by Peter Levine. I am currently in my advanced year of training in the model. The training includes diving deeply into the model through ongoing education, practice and supervision. The essence of the model is to help people by removing internal obstacles that prevent their innate ability to heal. This is done generally through creating balance and safety with one's self and with other's. If you think about it, our suffering is rooted in various forms of trauma that have disrupted healthy development, and created an internal sense of threat. Depression and anxiety for instance, are our body and mind suffering 'emotional dysregulation' (like a car engine not running on all cylinders) and integration between the experience of the body, nervous system, and mind. Admittedly 'SE' is a bit of a misnomer because body (soma) is only one part of the self-- it's not more important the mind, emotions, relational faculties. But often through trauma or environmental influences the experience of our bodies and nervous systems is dissociated, or repressed. We are often disconnected and unaware of how our bodies re-enact and carry the story of our 'stuckness,' of our emotional and relational maladies. Guided by SE principles I help clients encounter and befriend neglected or 'unsafe' parts of them including 'self-states', body sensations, thoughts, meanings, imagery, while tracking your nervous system protective responses.
If you have any questions about my approach I would be happy to explain it in more detail on a free consultation call.
ABOUT ME
I am a father of two teenage boys, and I live and work in North Kansas City MO, which I love. In my free time I enjoy pursuing my passions in art, music, comedy, food, and hiking.
I've been a professional therapist since 2015 and worked in the helping field for years before that. I got my start in an inpatient, psychiatric hospital setting, which is also where I did my internship as a grad student. It was a great experience largely because I got to see a variety of clinical presentation. It helped me clarify my calling as a helper but also created a helpful tension in me. The inpatient setting is all about helping patients resolve an acute mental health, safety or addiction crisis. This was satisfying and intense work but I often found myself wanting to go deeper with patients. Private practice was the obvious next step.
It also may be helpful to know that I am no stranger to trauma and struggle myself. I know what it means and how it feels to deeply struggle and do the work. One thing I love about being a therapist is the ethical imperative to 'do your own work' and continue to grow in knowledge, consultation with other colleagues, ongoing supervision and experience of the craft. It's important for therapists to be well-regulated, on their own journey, practiced in taking their own medicine as it were, engaging in community and connection both professionally and personally.