Individual Therapy in Northampton & Across Massachusetts
Online therapy also available in Vermont
I work with individual adults around a variety of challenges, including anxiety and OCD, relationship struggles, addiction, and internal conflict of many kinds: various circumstances where “how I am feeling and acting” does not align with “how I wish I were able to feel and act.”
In this work, I draw on a number of therapeutic modalities and approaches, depending on the presenting issue and the needs and preferences of the individual. I often incorporate “parts work” (primarily a version called Internal Family Systems, or IFS, but rooted in psychodynamic theory more broadly). This approach starts from the notion that our disparate feelings and behaviors can be understood as belonging to different parts of us, and that we can find greater peace by befriending and offering support to all of them. I also work relationally, meaning that we acknowledge and make use of the dynamics between us as we explore what brings you in. And I sometimes bring in more structured approaches, like CBT (including Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD*), that offer concrete tools for relief. One of the joys of psychotherapy is finding a way of working together that fits for you in particular.
*A note about OCD: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is widely considered the most effective treatment for OCD, and I do find it to be very useful when employed with sensitivity. However, as with most tools, the way we use ERP matters very much. For instance, some individuals who have tried ERP in other settings report having felt pressured or scolded if they didn’t feel ready to engage in very challenging or overwhelming exercises. I have found that there are many ways to make use of the core insights of ERP without the harshness or intensity that can come with some applications of it. In particular, I find that combining it with parts work makes it possible to feel safe enough to try new behaviors without a sense of overwhelm. If you have OCD and have questions about this, please reach out.