4 Cornerstones of Otherwise

I pledge to provide a space where you feel safe to explore, feel supported while we process pain and trauma, empowered to find your own voice and welcomed as you are.

Cozy living room with vintage furniture, floral-patterned couch, colorful pillows, floor lamp, framed pictures, and plants.

Populations I’ve worked with

  • LGBTQIA+

  • Fat, Midsize, beautiful at all sizes

  • Disabled, chronic pain, chronic illness

  • Adults and teens (13+)

  • Students leaving or returning to school

Experiences I’ve supported

  • Grief, shame and trauma

  • Depression, suicidal ideation, and existential dread

  • Generalized anxiety, Social anxiety and existential anxiety

  • OCD and perfectionism

  • Divorce, career changes, and other transitions

Integrative approach

I take an integrative approach to therapy, meaning I’m not a specialist in one method—I’m a generalist. I draw from a variety of approaches to meet you where you are and co-create a therapeutic journey tailored to your specific needs. This approach isn’t for everyone. If you have a specific diagnosis where the gold-standard treatment is a particular method, I’ll either use that approach if I’m trained in it or refer you to a specialist who can help.

While I use multiple approaches, there are constants in how I work. My foundation is in existential therapy, so much of my focus is on helping clients explore meaning and purpose. Although every client’s journey is unique, I often find the work moving between three main phases (outlined below). These phases aren’t necessarily linear—if a new insight arises or a major life change occurs, we may revisit earlier phases before moving forward.

3 Phases of our Work

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3 Phases of our Work *

Foundations and Awareness

  • Fortify relational foundations and increase self-awareness. Trusting me and trusting your mind.

  • We begin by exploring your current thoughts and beliefs, while noticing how your body relates to different emotions, experiences and reactions. You'll start to see how present thoughts are shaped by past experiences, including internalized beliefs from society or family culture. This helps you understand your actions and emotions more clearly. If you're struggling in your daily life, we'll also focus on immediate coping skills you can use right away.

  • This phase brings in practices from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Attachment theory and Existential theory

Emotional Presence and Body Connection

  • Build a deeper connection between your emotions and your body, increasing emotional regulation, capacity and decision making. Trust your body and trust your emotions.

  • You'll begin to notice how emotions physically manifest in your body (tightness, heaviness, tension, location, etc.), learning how to process and release old emotional patterns. This phase helps you experience a more fluid connection between your thoughts, emotions and body sensations.

  • Mindfulness, Somatic practices, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Exposure therapy, Play therapy

Integration of Self

  • Increase your capacity for connection, presence and flow. Integrate and trust your whole self- mind, body and spirit. By trusting all aspects of yourself, including your darker and vulnerable parts, you build resilience to face life's uncertainties and the complexity of others.

  • This phase is about full embracing difficult emotions, building a future based on authenticity and self understanding. You'll learn to move fluidly between thinking, feeling and being in your body. This begins a lifelong process of honoring and actualizing all aspects of who you are as you continue to grow and age.

  • Psychodynamic therapy, Relational therapy, shadow work & dream work, Existential theory