A trail switchbacking gently across an open grassy East Bay hillside in late afternoon light

Approach

Find the roots. Separate the good ones from the weeds.

“You bring that ungh I don't want to do ‘X' thing. Together, we find the roots of those feelings, separate the good roots from the weeds, and replant parts of your inner garden.”

Principles

Four things that hold across every session

A footpath through dry grass curving between two oaks toward open hills

Your pace, not a protocol's: Nothing gets opened because a treatment plan says week four. You decide what we approach and when, and I'll tell you honestly what I think is worth approaching.
Roots, not symptoms: Behavior that looks irrational usually made complete sense somewhere. We go looking for where it made sense, which is generally where the change lives.
Direct, not confrontational: I'm not going to argue you into insight or catch you out. I am going to say the true thing rather than the comfortable one.
Movement over recap: If the work isn't going anywhere, that becomes the topic. A weekly debrief that changes nothing is an expensive habit.

Method

Trained in four things that actually talk to each other

Motivational Interviewing

Ambivalence isn't resistance. It's two real wants in conflict, and it responds to being explored rather than argued with.

Mentalization

Much of the trouble between people comes from misreading minds, theirs and our own. That capacity can be strengthened.

Narrative Therapy

Your story is partly written, and you've been using language and unspoken elements that will be important to explore and retool. The next chapters are still open.

Harm Reduction

Meeting you where you actually are, without requiring a particular starting point before the work is allowed to begin.

I'm trained in these approaches and draw on them as the work calls for. I don't run a fixed protocol, and I'll say clearly if what you want is something I don't offer.

The best way to judge an approach is to talk to the person using it.

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