Gestalt Therapy

“Gestalt therapy is about helping people become aware of what they do and how they do it, and to encourage living in the present, to ‘be here now,’ and make better choices.” – Violet Oaklander. In Gestalt therapy, I use talk or play to help you or your child experience, explore, and process thoughts, feelings and sensations to bring greater awareness, self-understanding and empowerment. I am not an ‘expert’ but a partner on your journey, in the process with you every step of the way.

Gestalt Therapy is a psycho-dynamic, present-centered and relational approach to talk therapy. I believe that a person’s history colors how they experience the present, but that few are fully aware of this process in day-to-day life. We’ll work together to move from judgment to curiosity, so that we can notice what reactions are based on historical assumptions, or grounded in our actual, shared experience of one another in the here-and-now.

Nearly seven years of clinical experience using gestalt therapy.

With this approach, we will work together to focus on your experience in the present moment.

Gestalt Therapy is a counseling approach from Germany which centers around "emotional catharsis" and directing clients toward more authentic ways of being in the present moment. I love this approach because it is really great at surfacing blockages in a way that pushes clients to work through them. Without the focus on the "here and now," therapy can get lost in distant, hypothetical conversation that doesn't create the desired change brought people to therapy in the first place.

My approach is process-oriented and focused on what is happening, here and now, in the relationship between therapist and client. The emphasis of therapy is not on what should be or could have been, but on what is. We work on building relational capacities and leadership through embodied dialogue, awareness, resonance, and phenomenological inquiry.

Working with the body and the different parts within yourself are very powerful and effective ways to gain deeper insight into what is going on with us.

Gestalt is a type of parts work therapy, which means we see the human psyche as a combination of different parts that sometimes have quite different feelings and needs. Parts work can be incredibly helpful when we conceptualize inner conflict, and can help bring compassion to parts that hold challenging or outdated beliefs about ourselves, others or the world. I use Gestalt therapy to support my clients in growing awareness and understanding of our complexity as human beings.

Gestalt is my foundational theory that aligns with my views of human nature and counseling. I lean to the side of relational, nondirective gestalt therapy that utilizes dialogue and talk, rather than the popularized gestalt techniques. I am a gestalt nerd and love counseling gestalt therapists.

Together we will work to understand how you holistically experience the present moment in your mind, body and emotional self. This work seeks to uncover and accept the fullness of who you are and what you need to find contentment, joy, and meaning in your life. We may explore your family system or notable events from youth if they are creating an interruption in your life now.

With extensive training and years of experience, I specialize in this holistic approach that emphasizes personal responsibility and awareness in the present moment. My expertise lies in guiding clients to fully experience their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, facilitating self-discovery and growth. Through innovative techniques personalized for the individual, I help clients resolve unfinished business and realize their full potential, creating meaningful and transformative change.

I am a Certified Gestalt Therapist and trained at the Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy 4 year Clinical Fellowship Program.

I love Gestalt therapy because I do people that people are more than the sum of their parts. I like how it can help increase awareness of the present moment, and I use a lot of parts work to explore sides of the client that may be less frequently visible. I also use some Internal Family System ideas that are based on Gestalt parts work to help clients be in deeper relationship with themselves and their inner motivations.

I have a passion for gestalt psychotherapy.

Trained in the Laura Perls-tradition of Gestalt Therapy.

I use a Gestalt therapy framework to help clients focus on the 'here and now,' bringing awareness to their present moment experience. Through this process, we explore the awareness continuum, noticing thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations as they arise. This approach fosters greater self-awareness and empowers clients to recognize patterns, deepen their understanding of themselves, and make more conscious choices in their lives.