The process of psychotherapy varies depending on the personalities of the therapist and client, and the particular problems you bring forward. There are many different methods I may use to deal with the problems that you hope to address, but the primary approaches to therapy that I use are psychodynamic therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on the thoughts (including beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, attributions, interpretations, etc.) and behaviors (including avoidance, isolation, sleep habits, eating habits, substance use, procrastination, communication style, etc.) that may contribute to your emotional difficulties or symptoms.
Psychodynamic therapy focuses on exploration of feelings, wishes, fears, and beliefs about yourself and other people that you may not be consciously aware of before starting therapy. These unconscious processes develop early in childhood through your interactions with important people in your life, and may conflict with each other or with family, cultural, or societal values, leading to unhappiness or unhealthy behaviors.
Relational psychodynamic therapy is a contemporary approach that acknowledges the importance of interpersonal relationships, especially formative childhood relationships with caregivers, in shaping our internal experiences of ourselves and other people. Healthy attachment relationships in early childhood are crucial to foster our ability to trust, develop a healthy interdependence with others, and maintain an integrated sense of self. Intergenerational trauma, losses in childhood, abuse and neglect, as well as more subtle problems and dynamics in a "typical" or happy childhood, can lead to self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and feelings of emptiness, as we compartmentalize aspects of ourselves that are not validated and feel unacceptable.
Relational therapy can lead to greater empathy for ourselves and the important people in our lives, more trust and intimacy, and feeling more alive as we experience emotions more fully and gain the freedom to try new things. While the focus is on the patient, relational therapists acknowledge that we, as therapists, bring our own histories, biases, and feelings into the therapy relationship and are open to receiving feedback from patients about their experience of us in the moment. Sometimes strong feelings and even conflicts come up in the therapy relationship that are crucial to identifying interpersonal dynamics that patients may be experiencing in other relationships in their lives. Because relational therapists recognize that addressing these dynamics is central to the treatment, we especially value developing a sense of trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship, including addressing issues related to identity, difference, power and privilege.
I try to understand your life history and your current experiences in the context of your multiple social identities, and to be aware of the values and biases that I bring to my work from my own social identities.