manifesto
Psychotherapy for the Tough & Tender
My therapy work is powered by strong values. As an extension of informed choice, I believe you have a right to know what underpins my work. So, here goes.
A non-pathologizing view of health and wellness.
I strive to be curious about one’s lived experience of their internal states, symptoms and patterned responses. I aim to do this without judgment of or attachment to our current understanding of a diagnosis. In this process, it is important to take what is helpful and leave the rest.
A person-in-environment lens to therapy.
I seek to understand each client within the context of their relationships, cultural/racial/religious background, gender and sexual identities, economic/employment situation, and physical health in an inclusive manner. Intersectional feminist values inform how we come to understand clients and how they experience their lives.
Therapy work is structured with an anti-oppression framework.
This does not mean I am perfect at this nor that I will have all the answers. It means that I continuously reflect on power dynamics and work to show up in an anti-oppressive manner.
Trauma is part of life.
Thus, all places should be trauma-informed spaces. Spaces that foster safety, respect, trust, inclusion, intentionality, conscientiousness, openness and acknowledgment. I work towards this goal in all that I do and invite constructive feedback.
I value a collaborative stance and honor that implementing change in your life is up to you.
You are your own healer. I am a guide and fellow traveler, here to walk with you and support you as you craft the life you wish to lead.
It is important to acknowledge unknowns.
Any one of us can’t possibly know everything and we are discovering more and more each day. I strive to keep an open mind and invite all perspectives to the table.
When we do our own healing work, we help heal societies.
So much pain is inherited. It is not our fault when something happens to us, however it is our responsibility to try to heal it. Doing so breaks the intergenerational pattern of trauma. And this helps us move toward a more peaceful society.
There is a crucial relationship between healing people and healing the planet.
Finally, our relationships with ourselves and with each other impacts how we interact with the planet. Promoting healing among people is one way we seek to contribute positively to global challenges.
