Relational Therapy

In relational therapy, the therapeutic relationship itself becomes a powerful tool for healing. I strive to create a collaborative, safe, and empathetic space where you can freely express yourself, feel heard, and work through difficult emotions. Through this connection, we can examine how your relationships with others mirror the relationship you have with yourself, helping you develop healthier ways of relating to both yourself and those around you.

I also work relationally, using the therapeutic relationship to help clients understand how it feels for them to be in relationship and to experience new ways of being in relationship that can translate to outside the therapy room.

Relational therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on the importance of interpersonal relationships and their influence on an individual's emotional well-being. It emphasizes the therapist-client relationship as a primary factor in the healing process, encouraging clients to explore and understand their patterns of relating to others. The goal is to improve the client's relationships by fostering healthier, more supportive connections.

Relational therapy offers valuable support for individuals navigating challenges in their intimate, professional, family, and social relationships. I work well with clients regarding diverse relationship issues. Common themes in relational therapy include addressing social factors such as culture, race, class, heteronormativity, and intersectionality.

The therapeutic relationship is the most important factor in the success of therapy. We'll build a rapport and examine the relationship patterns in your life that impact your well-being.

As a relationally-trained therapist, I specialize in working with clients by using a systemic perspective. This means that we will explore a client’s relationship to themselves, to others, and to society as a whole.

Relational therapy focuses on the role of relationships in mental health. It posits that healthy relationships can heal psychological issues while poor relational dynamics can worsen them. The therapy emphasizes genuine connection and communication between therapist and client, using the therapeutic relationship itself as a model for constructive interpersonal interactions, aiming to improve clients' relationships outside of therapy.

I use relational psychodynamic therapy because I see the relationship we build together as the crucible of change: it acts as both a window into your interpersonal world, and also an arena in which you can try on new ways of being. We learn how to see ourselves and the world around in relationship, and this can become known and changed in relationship. In a non-judgmental, compassionate space, we contact and rework the dynamics that keep you feeling stuck, dissatisfied, and in pain.

Therapy is a very particular kind of relationship, but a relationship none the less. Sometimes dynamics and patterns you experience outside of therapy will find their way into therapy too. This creates a perfect opportunity to work through whatever feelings may be coming up in the moment and to explore them in real time to create deeper understanding and change.

As a therapist, I am keenly interested in the art and science of being "in-relationship." Good, relational psychotherapy is able to utilize the rich, dynamic, and here-and-now nature of the therapeutic relationship for the patient's benefit. I have found that patterns in the therapeutic relationship can often mimic patterns in patient's other relationships. Relationally-focused therapy can offer a reparative experience for those who have suffered neglect, abuse, and other relational traumas.

Relational Therapy (RT) is an approach rooted in Psychodynamic Therapy. Psychodynamic therapy puts emphases on the psychological cause of emotional pain. Self-reflection and self-examination are its major focus. RT asserts the relationship is in fact what is needed for true reflection, examination, and ultimately change. Major tenants of RT are the therapist's stance, authenticity, presence, reflection, and engagement.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist, most of my training has been in working with couples and individuals on relational concerns. When I am meeting with a couple or an individual, I am always thinking about emotional wellness within the context of the relationships. I have training in Gottman Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, ACT Therapy for Couples, working with open relationships and addressing sexual concerns in relationship therapy

For many of us, problems with our partners can be the most frustrating issues we have to face, leaving us feeling “crazy,” overwhelmed, and miserable. We start our relationships feeling hopeful, buoyant, and exhilarated, believing we have found our “soul mate”. All too often, this dream fades within years, and we do one of two things: we jump from one relationship to another, blaming problems on our partners; or we stay in a miserable union, hurting each other and/or stagnating.