What to Expect in Therapy with Me

The process of therapy is a collaborative journey, and while every client’s path is unique, here’s a general idea of what the experience might look like over several sessions:

• Building Trust & Connection: Our first session will be about getting to know each other and ensuring you feel safe and heard. We’ll discuss why you’re seeking therapy and what you hope to achieve. It’s important that you feel comfortable with me and confident that we can work together to meet your goals.
• Understanding Your Story: We’ll begin to explore your history and attachment patterns, looking at how your past relationships may be influencing how you experience the world today. This will help us understand where you might be feeling stuck or disconnected.
• Identifying Your Goals: Together, we’ll set some initial goals for therapy. Whether it’s managing overwhelming emotions, improving relationships, or increasing self-awareness, we’ll focus on what matters most to you right now.

• Understanding Attachment & Relationships: In these sessions, we’ll dive deeper into your attachment patterns—how early relationships with caregivers shaped the way you relate to others today. This helps us understand how your emotions and reactions might be linked to past experiences.
• Introducing Emotional Regulation Tools: We’ll start building skills to regulate your emotions and increase your tolerance for discomfort. These tools, like grounding techniques and breathing exercises, will help you manage difficult emotions without feeling overwhelmed.
• Skill-Building for Confidence: These sessions will focus on building your confidence in handling emotional challenges. As we work on emotional regulation and interoceptive awareness (tuning into physical sensations linked to emotions), you’ll begin to feel more in control of your reactions and more grounded in your emotional experiences.

• Attachment-Focused EMDR: If appropriate, we may introduce EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to process past trauma or emotional wounds that are still affecting your present-day relationships. This can be especially helpful for addressing feelings of shame, self-doubt, or unresolved relational pain.
• Challenging Negative Beliefs: We’ll explore any negative core beliefs that might be holding you back—such as “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t trust people.” Together, we’ll work to shift these beliefs and develop a more secure and positive sense of self.
• Deepening Emotional Awareness: As we work on these deeper issues, you’ll continue developing the ability to understand and process your emotions. This self-awareness allows you to respond thoughtfully, instead of reacting out of habit or emotional overwhelm.

• Improving Your Relationships: By now, you’ll start to see shifts in how you relate to others. In these sessions, we’ll focus on applying what you’ve learned to real-life relationships, helping you practice healthier ways of communicating and setting boundaries in your connections.
• Reinforcing Positive Attachment: We’ll continue reinforcing secure attachment patterns and address any ongoing challenges you may face. You’ll begin to feel more confident in your ability to create and sustain meaningful, trusting relationships.
• Building Emotional Resilience: As we continue, we’ll focus on strengthening your emotional resilience, helping you feel more capable of handling challenges in your personal and professional life with confidence.

• Integrating New Skills: Over time, we’ll continue to integrate the tools and insights you’ve learned into your daily life. As you grow more comfortable with emotional regulation and new relationship skills, you’ll feel more empowered to face life’s challenges with strength and clarity.
• Celebrating Progress: We’ll take time to celebrate the progress you’ve made—acknowledging the growth you’ve achieved in building more fulfilling relationships, feeling more in control of your emotions, and gaining a deeper understanding of yourself.

• The Therapeutic Relationship as a Mirror: As we work together, the therapeutic relationship becomes a powerful mirror for you to see how your attachment patterns show up in real-time. We’ll use this safe space to explore new ways of relating and practice healthier dynamics.
• Warm, Attuned, Collaborative Process: Above all, I will provide a warm, attuned, and collaborative approach, where your experiences and needs are at the heart of the process. Therapy with me is about building a relationship based on trust, empathy, and mutual respect.