Parts Work, also known as Internal Family Systems (IFS), is a therapeutic approach based on the understanding that the mind is made up of different “parts” or subpersonalities, each with its own perspective, emotions, and protective strategies. These parts often form in response to early experiences, relationships, or trauma, and they shape how you think, feel, and relate to others. You might notice them as conflicting urges, inner voices, or recurring emotional patterns. Importantly, all parts have a reason for existing; none are inherently “bad.” Even the ones that feel disruptive or overwhelming originally formed to help you cope or survive, though over time, they may get stuck in rigid roles that create distress or self sabotage.

Parts Work helps you turn toward these inner experiences with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment or avoidance. In therapy, we gently explore the fears, needs, and intentions of each part, especially those that seem to be in conflict or protect against deeper pain. This process creates space for internal dialogue, healing, and integration.

We may use creative tools like guided visualizations, expressive art, journaling from a part’s perspective, or somatic tracking to explore where parts show up in the body. These practices make your inner world more tangible, especially when words fall short, and can ease tension, reduce overwhelm, and support a deeper sense of clarity and self trust.

As both a licensed therapist and practicing artist, I bring creative expression into therapy to support deeper self exploration and honor the many ways we communicate who we are.

While not a certified expressive arts therapist, I am a certified SoulCollage® facilitator, and this method plays a central role in my work. SoulCollage® invites you to create a personal deck of collage cards that reflect different aspects of your inner world, parts of self, archetypes, relationships, or energies you’re navigating. It’s a useful way to give shape to nuanced feelings and experiences that may be hard to express otherwise.

I often integrate expressive arts with Parts Work, also known as IFS, to help externalize and engage with inner dynamics more tangibly. When paired with tools like collage, clay, or poetry, the IFS process often becomes easier to understand and relate to.

Creative processes in therapy can also support nervous system regulation, offer relief from overwhelm, and help track emotions in a slower, more embodied way. Nonverbal expression becomes another valid and powerful language for communicating what’s within, especially when talking feels too hard or limiting. This multisensory, grounded approach fosters emotional clarity and connection, making space for parts of you that may have otherwise gone unheard.

Existential therapy is a reflective, depth-oriented approach that explores the core questions of human life—meaning, identity, freedom, and the reality of our limitations. Rather than viewing distress as something to eliminate, this approach sees it as a doorway into deeper understanding. Feelings like anxiety, sadness, or emptiness are honored as valid responses to life’s uncertainties. In therapy, we explore what matters to you, how you relate to choice and responsibility, and what it means to live authentically in the face of change, loss, or the unknown.

This work is less about symptom reduction and more about deepening connection—to yourself, to others, and to life. Together, we reflect on the patterns and beliefs shaping your experience, and explore how you might move through stuckness with greater honesty and intention. Whether you're navigating a transition or questioning the direction of your life, existential therapy offers space to clarify your values, make meaning of your struggles, and find a path that feels more true to who you are.

Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) combines mindfulness, the practice of being present, with self compassion, encouraging us to respond to our own suffering with kindness rather than judgment. By meeting difficult emotions and thoughts with warmth and understanding, MSC helps reduce self criticism and builds resilience, creating a more supportive inner dialogue during challenging times.

Through gentle awareness and acts of self kindness, MSC cultivates a recognition of our shared humanity and common struggles. This awareness softens the inner critic, promotes emotional balance, and fosters connection, acceptance, and inner strength, providing a steady foundation for greater well being and personal clarity.

Narrative therapy is an approach that understands people’s lives as shaped by the stories they tell about themselves. It supports exploring and reframing these narratives, helping to separate you from problems and create room for new perspectives. By examining how dominant stories develop—often influenced by culture, family, or past experiences—you can identify limiting beliefs and consider alternative, more constructive meanings. This approach highlights your capacity to shape your own life story with intention and clarity.

Mythopoetic perspectives in therapy use myths, symbols, and archetypal stories to deepen understanding of personal experience. These narratives provide meaningful metaphors for common human struggles and transitions, linking individual challenges to broader themes. Engaging with mythopoetic material can help access insights beyond everyday language, enriching self-reflection. Combined with narrative therapy, this approach encourages viewing your life as a story where new roles and possibilities can emerge.