My Approach
with individuals and couples
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis can help you if you are struggling with interpersonal or familial relationships; if you are feeling stuck, anxious, or depressed; if you feel uncertain of what you want out of life, and want the freedom to explore and achieve your desires. I deeply enjoy helping people work on examining issues stemming from their family of origin, exploring their sexuality and romantic relationships, and making and seeing through major decisions and changes that can transform one’s life for the better.
Psychoanalysis is a way of being heard unlike any other. I use nonjudgmental, careful listening and questioning to enable you to hear yourself more clearly, connect your past and present, and empower you to realize the future you want for yourself. Together, we will explore the underlying causes of whatever distress has led you to reach out, and work to free you of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are no longer serving you. This work aims at unconscious change. We will work with your dreams, slips of the tongue, and the repetitions that occur in your speech and actions. I provide a space for free association and uncensored speech. My practice is informed by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan.
Couples Work
I aim to help partners speak and listen to one another more carefully, to reduce resentment and conflict, and to help you foster better communication and reasonable compromise when necessary. I enjoy helping couples work through issues of nonmonogamy, kink, and sexual difficulties, especially in guiding those who are considering opening up their relationship or have already struggled with doing so. Our work together is to create a healthy, sustainable relationship for both yourself and your partner(s) - or to help you make the decision to separate in a kinder, gentler way.
While my work with couples is informed by my psychoanalytic background, relationship coaching is typically more direct and directive than psychoanalysis. You and your partner may be seeking treatment at a moment of crisis in the relationship, with the need to address acute issues before being able to decide whether or not to remain together, or perhaps you are working on long standing issues that finally need to be addressed. I aim to give each person equal time and attention, and to help each partner articulate their relationship goals, frustrations, needs, and expectations to help you begin or continue conversations that have felt impossible without the encouragement and facilitation of a neutral third party.