FAQ

My intake process involves an initial appointment in which we discuss what brings you to treatment. I then start gathering a personal and family history and review any past psychotherapy experiences you may have had. You can decide after several meetings whether you think it’s a good fit.

Over the course of our work together, you can expect a decrease in symptoms and enhanced wellbeing as well as increased self-understanding and self-acceptance. I don’t assign homework, but I encourage people to continue to process what is brought up in sessions and to journal if they find it helpful. Sometimes people choose to increase their weekly session frequency to deepen and speed up the process.

Therapy works best for a person that is motivated to make change and has a willingness to engage deeply with the process. It’s important for the people I work with to understand that while I don’t have all the answers, I will strive to figure out what works for you.

I expect you to come to me with the understanding that psychotherapy is not a quick fix—it is a personal investment that takes time, energy and effort. Because psychotherapy is a collaborative process, it isn’t effective unless both parties are active participants. I ask that you come to the process with an open mind and an understanding that incremental progress is still progress.

I work with the assumption that a person has sought therapy because they are motivated to make changes in their lives and take risks interpersonally, internally and in the world. I do not give advice because I believe that each individual is fully capable of making decisions for themselves and has the ultimate authority over their own minds and lives. I understand and respect the fact that it takes courage to seek and continue to engage in psychotherapy, and I aspire to make the process feel as safe and useful as possible.

Psychoanalysis is fundamental to the way that I address mental health issues. Psychoanalytic theory provides the insights and techniques that enable me to be clinically grounded, creative and emotionally available. It also allows the potential for me to concurrently incorporate other therapeutic approaches. I also practice Attachment-Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (AF-EMDR) therapy on its own or integrated with long-term psychotherapy. AF-EMDR can be a powerful and effective tool for processing upsetting or traumatic memories, and I recommend it as an adjunct to long term psychotherapy when appropriate.

Dr. Laurel Parnell developed Attachment Focused EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) by modifying Dr. Francine Shapiro’s original EMDR protocol to better address complex developmental trauma. Dr. Parnell’s model emphasizes the therapeutic relationship, creating safety, stability and trust before doing deep trauma work and repairing early relational wounds.

As the name indicates, EMDR is a therapeutic technique that emphasizes the desensitizing (decreased emotional and physical reactivity) of a triggering memory or event by reprocessing it (recreating it in one’s imagination utilizing a specific procedure) while using bilateral stimulation (for example, rhythmic tapping.)

This approach widens the perspective on an overwhelming event by allowing in new information which contributes to the experience of gradually becoming unstuck. As a result, the traumatic event becomes a part of one’s past as opposed to a memory that continues to create distress. AF-EMDR has evolved to address a range of issues, and I continue to study and learn protocol to address them.

Psychoanalysis has evolved from the theory and practice created by Dr. Sigmund Freud: it encompasses theory and clinical technique discussed in a complex, evolving and creative literature. Psychoanalysis conceptualizes and addresses mental health issues as emanating from early relationships and emotional experiences and acknowledges that patterns from past relationships are recreated and harnessed in the therapeutic relationship. 

The core idea of other psychotherapeutic techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), for example, is that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all interconnected, so by changing how a person thinks and behaves, they can change how they feel. The work in CBT is goal-oriented and homework-based and revolves around cognitive restructuring. The psychoanalytic process, on the other hand, is nonlinear and involves recognizing thoughts and behaviors that were previously hidden and contribute to insight. Psychoanalysis helps the participant understand themselves more deeply by illuminating their motivations. The process ultimately allows people to become more flexible and resourceful and helps them to shift their relationships with others.

The diagnosis of Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) as a form of PTSD was created to encompass the consequences of chronic, long-term trauma, especially interpersonal trauma such as ongoing childhood abuse or neglect, emotionally abusive relationships, or repeated abandonment or betrayal by caregivers. Unlike PTSD, which often stems from a discrete traumatizing event, C-PTSD is the result of prolonged exposure to trauma, particularly when escape wasn’t possible, and the trauma happened during critical periods of emotional or psychological development.

It is characterized as “complex” because of its impact on the whole self: identity, self-worth, emotional regulation, relationships and sense of safety in the world. The key symptoms of C-PTSD include difficulty managing intense emotions, negative self-perceptions (deep feelings of shame or guilt; feeling “broken”; harsh inner critic), and difficulty in relationships. Dissociative disorders, including dissociative identity disorder, occur when abuse is especially severe. This diagnosis is integral to my conceptualization and treatment of childhood trauma.

I believe it’s important to continue learning and building competencies throughout my career. I participate in ongoing individual and group consultation, and I stay up-to-date with books and journal articles that discuss psychoanalytic ideas, theory and technique. I also study topics related to complex trauma and dissociation as well as the practice of AF-EMDR. I believe it’s important to be mindful of my own biases and countertransference and I actively engage in self-reflection concerning my practice.

I also complete trainings to continue to learn about other techniques and enhance my skills and knowledge. I have completed a certificate program at New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis and am currently completing the Professional Training Program at ISSTD (the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation). I am also in the process of becoming a certified AF-EMDR provider through the Parnell Institute as well as starting to integrate the practice of clinical hypnosis through trainings with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. I am excited about incorporating AF-EMDR into my practice, as well as enhancing my existing skills and knowledge to work with individuals with complex trauma and dissociative disorders.