Talk Therapy in Albany, NY

A woman with curly hair wearing a blazer and a floral top is reading a book or magazine with printed text and illustrations, sitting against a plain background.

What can I gain from talk therapy?

My style of therapy is paced, relational and collaborative, starting wherever you are and building trust and safety over time. Drawing from an EMDR and attachment focused framework, as we meet and discuss present issues, we will begin to notice somatic sensations and the thoughts and beliefs associated with them. We’ll observe themes and patterns and explore their connection back to early life experiences and relationships, as you learn to comfort and quiet your nervous system. With deeper understanding, you can develop greater compassion for yourself, as you learn to practice and implement new skills to embrace challenges.

While this all sounds pretty serious, and I do hold my clinical role and professional code of ethics in the highest regard, I also like to laugh and have fun, and there is plenty of space for humor and lightness in sessions. I can’t pretend to be a stuffy know it all, and part of the authentic self I bring to the therapy room is someone who can laugh at myself and appreciates a well timed joke. I find that a bit of lightness in therapy goes a long way in helping our nervous systems relax, and breaks up the hard work you are doing so therapy doesn’t feel like a chore, but truly feels like you time.

Over time, what I hear from clients I work with is that they are seeing real shifts in how they feel and think about themselves, bringing about greater satisfaction in their lives and relationships. Feedback from clients I work with consistently highlights greater insight and understanding, healthier ways of coping, and finding self acceptance.

Is this style of therapy right for me?

We might be a good fit if:

you are curious about why you tend to fall into certain patterns
you are willing to delve into your past and explore relationship and attachments
you can commit to regular, weekly 45-60 minute sessions
you’ve read this far and you’re recognizing yourself in these pages

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How do I get started?

When you reach out I will contact you by phone or text to set up a 15 minute consultation to make sure we seem like a good fit. If you decide to schedule an appointment, I will send you an intake packet including a questionnaire asking about your background and history, and what you would like to work on in therapy. I will review the questionnaire prior to meeting, and in our intake session will ask you follow up questions on anything that seems important or warrants deeper understanding. We’ll go over informed consent and make sure that the parameters of the therapeutic relationship fit your needs, set some preliminary goals, and go from there!

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What is a typical session like?

I draw from modalities such as EMDR and parts work for depth, and incorporate grounding and mindfulness for internal balance. We will start off talking about what you are struggling with in your daily life, which can be anything from adjusting to motherhood, relationship stress, career stagnation or burnout, or just feeling stuck. We will talk about day to day issues, and as we talk I will help you begin to notice themes and patterns across different topics. As you are ready, I will invite you to begin to notice what is happening in your body, and we will use this as our starting point to begin to go back to earlier life experiences connected with somatic sensations to better understand the shaping of beliefs and narratives transcribing meaning onto your present experiences. Going back to earlier life experiences can help you to re-examine the story you are holding onto with more context, from an adult vantage point. Often, by going back to difficult or painful experiences, we begin to develop compassion for our younger selves, and see how the imprint of these experiences shape our reactions in the present. Learning where negative thoughts and beliefs stem from help to diffuse them, so when you encounter triggering situations that historically bring up a strong response or unhelpful behavior, you can have more space to ground, calm yourself, and, over time, learn to respond differently.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Regular therapy sessions are typically once a week, though if your schedule requires more flexibility we can discuss what works for you.
I can offer a weekly, standing appointment time, or we can schedule week by week if that works better for you
As an ADHDer, I’ll be honest that I don’t love homework, so don’t tend to offer much unless it is oriented towards your goals. It can be helpful to notice patterns throughout the week and take note of insights or experiences you would like to discuss, but the work will primarily be done in session.
Yes! While it is not necessary to engage in EMDR reprocessing if you don’t wish to, we can certainly incorporate EMDR into your treatment plan. A multimodal approach can be effective and flexible.
We’ll talk about it! This is your time, and while I appreciate depth, I know that sometimes something is happening in the present that requires our full attention. If you’re having a tough week and need space to vent, or a problem you need help solving, there is absolutely room for that in our work.