Philosophy and Approach
Authenticity takes courage. To be authentic is to accept your unique story, to know your strengths and weaknesses, to practice living in accordance with your core values, and to create a life where you flourish. Authenticity requires an honest examination of your inner and outer world, and the strength to build a life worth living. When we live authentically, we move from mere existence into vibrant being, a state of presence.
At Authentic Being, I support you on this journey.​ Authentic Being explores your inner life with compassionate curiosity. I have this psychiatric diagnosis, or It’s always been this way become conversation starters not endings. From a non-judgmental stance, I listen for the yearnings, fears, tensions, and beliefs that reside within the various aspects of your psyche. Working from an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, I believe change happens when a person understands difficult parts of themselves to be like wounded children in need of love, not banishment. ​
When you start understanding your inner life with compassionate curiosity, space opens within you. This psychic roominess allows you to observe—and once you can observe, you can choose. You no longer react automatically to triggering situations. Rather, you have choice on how you want to respond depending on your priorities and values. Yet knowing how to execute action can be difficult, especially if you have spent too long relying on maladaptive behaviors due to trauma, upbringing, or cultural norms. That’s why Authentic Being pairs compassionate curiosity with skillful action. Skillful action entails acting in an intentional way to get what you want. I am trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Relational Life Therapy (RLT) to provide expert, evidence-based skills in emotional regulation, impulsivity, healthy relationships, codependency, and more.
​I am not a magician. As a therapist, I cannot change your external circumstances or erase your past. But psychotherapy can provide space for deep self-examination, and it can teach evidence-based skills that’ll help you to respond to the world’s demands more effectively. My approach (what I do) and my philosophy (what I believe) work hand in hand. I practice compassionate curiosity and skillful action in the therapy room with the hope that, outside of the therapy room, you will do the same. And when you do, you will find that psychotherapy is transformative.
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