Therapeutic Approaches
Mindfulness &
self compassion
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself, just as I am, then I can change”
– Carl Rogers
In therapy, we focus on noticing physical sensations tied to emotions and nervous system states—not to eliminate them, but to allow them space to be felt, understood, and appreciated. By cultivating a mindful and compassionate relationship with ourselves, we let go of self-judgment and emotional avoidance (hello old friends: numbing, shame, people-pleasing, blame and anxiety!). This opens the door for emotions to serve their intended purpose as valued messengers, while our bodies become a source of well-being and connection.
My approach is rooted in Kristin Neff’s Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, along with practices from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), and my ongoing, highly imperfect mindfulness practice.
“Compassion is knowing our darkness well enough that we can sit in the dark with others. It never is a relationship between the wounded and the healed. It is a relationship between equals.”
– Pema Chodron
Safety happens in relationship – I can’t ask for your authenticity without offering you the same in return.
You can expect me to show up as a real human in a real (albeit particular, and boundaried) relationship, rather than an emotionally removed, “blank slate”. This means I’m open to self-disclosure when it benefits you, admitting when I don’t have answers, and checking in if I suspect I’ve been misattuned. If something you share moves me or has an impact, I’ll let you know. And if emotional ruptures occur, repairing them together can be some of the most meaningful and transformative work we do.
As we navigate our therapeutic relationship, we learn to break down the binary of wounded client and healed therapist, instead walking together as flawed equals learning and growing together.
My approach is influenced by Feminist Therapy, AEDP, and Person-Centered Therapies, with an emphasis on equality, self-determination, consent, and honesty.
Real relationship
“Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love feels like in private”
– Cornel West
I work with clients to challenge the individualizing and pathologizing aspects of traditional psychotherapy. Many issues we face in therapy can be better understood as responses to systemic oppression. For example, we cannot heal our feelings of shame without talking about shame as a form of social control.
My approach is grounded in:
Queer Theory: Challenging binaries of normal and deviant, and questioning assumptions around identity, power, social norms and practices. Queer theory allows all of us to envision audacious futures of freedom and joy.
Intersectional Feminism: Recognizing that no one is free until everyone is free. It centres factors like race, gender, class, and sexuality into its liberatory project and embraces collective power and solidarity across difference.
Anti-Oppressive Practice: Acknowledging that individual therapy alone isn’t enough to address systemic issues. I centre social change in my therapeutic ethic and help clients find ways to resist oppression in their lives. As part of this ethic, I dedicate time to advocacy outside of my counselling work and offer sliding scale fees for activists.