Kintsugi
The name and philosophy of the practice
My psychotherapy practice is named after the Japanese method of reconstructing broken pottery using lacquer and gold leaf. The result is a piece of art that incorporates, rather than hides, the item’s unique history.
I find this art form to be an elegant metaphor for what we do in psychotherapy. Just as the art of kintsugi rejoins the components of a seemingly shattered piece of earthenware, psychotherapy is the process of taking the pieces of ourselves that feel disconnected and bringing them back into a unified whole in a way that pays homage to our experiences, even those that are painful or unpleasant.
My approach
I believe that when people are given a space to be truly and deeply understood and accepted, they are able to tap into their innate capacity for change and growth. I strive to create an environment where all parts of my clients are welcome, and where it is safe to express thoughts and emotions that previously felt too scary or threatening to examine. This holistic approach is about more than “managing” your feelings; it’s about learning what needs lie behind them and how to get those needs met.
I draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Rogerian (person-centered) psychotherapy, motivational interviewing (MI), short-term dynamic psychotherapy, and narrative therapy, and tailor my approach to the individual needs of each client.
I believe that no approach to psychotherapy is complete without attention to how systems of oppression and societal norms shape our emotional and psychological realities, and am committed to ensuring that my office is an anti-racist, sex-positive, feminist and queer affirming space.
My professional background
I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Middlebury College in 2009, and earned my doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021. My training and career brought me to a variety of clinical settings, including community mental health, university counseling, and large scale private practice. I have been providing psychotherapy in some form since 2016.
While I have been trained to address a variety of clinical concerns and work with a wide variety of folks, I am most passionate about helping members of the LGBTQIA+ community, supporting trans/gender expansive individuals, helping college students with the demands of their academic journey, providing affirmative psychotherapy for individuals who practice kink/non-traditional sexuality, helping people navigate grief and loss, and guiding people through recovery from a variety of traumatic experiences.
I have contributed to research on clinical bias among psychotherapists, student drug use, acculturation processes, masculinity, help-seeking behaviors, personal belief development, the experiences of trans/gender expansive individuals, and perceptions of war/conflict. I have also received training in clinical supervision and consultation, and have trained peer counselors both locally and abroad.
More about me
I was born and raised in Massachusetts, came to Madison for graduate school, and just never left!
Before graduate school, I spent a significant amount of time living, studying and working in Japan in a government office devoted to promoting multiculturalism and cross cultural understanding.
When I’m not in the therapist chair, you can find me doing martial arts, lifting weights, seeing musicals with my partner, playing with my two dogs, or enjoying a carefully brewed cup of oolong tea.