Experiential Therapy

Talk therapy is the primary method of my counseling work. However, I maintain that there are "multiple ways to the same goal". We might talk about the content to see if that gets us there. We might also write about it, draw about it, walk about it (internet and tele-space willing*), close our eyes and meditate on it.

Adventure Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Wilderness Therapy, Nature-Based Therapy… all of these names describe an approach of inviting clients to engage in an experience so that they can learn about themselves. Together we’ll decide what activity would be most helpful to you each session. We’ll engage in that activity together in a mindful, trauma-informed way and have deep, reflective conversion, weaving together relevant threads from Evidence Based Practices.

My practice has a foundation based on the tenets of Virginia Satir's method of Experiential Therapy, in which we find every individual has capacity for healing and growth, we find healing by being grounded in the present moment (the here and now), relationships are crucial for our mental health and wellbeing, and we can cultivate intimate relationships with authentic emotional expression.

Experiential Therapy is experience based processes. It utilizes techniques such as role-playing, music, guided imagery and re-experiences of emotional situations or relationships. Through the processes clients begin to identify the emotions associated with their experiences. I empower clients with these processes to let go of negative feelings, shame, anger and hurt while recreating positive thinking patterns. Experiential Therapy is used to treat trauma, behaviors and debilitating emotions.

I am currently in an intensive Core Training on Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy.

I believe that to create change, it often helps to feel it first. After building emotional safety, my sessions invite the exploration of new emotional experience. We will invite deeper and different experiences in the room, so that underlying change can be more than just known or believed -- it can be felt!

Experiential therapy is about feeling the room and giving each client an experience that suits them best. It's basically "meeting each client where they're at", including mood, disposition and pace.

I have extensively studied the work and careers of Carl Whitaker and Virginia Satir, two pioneers in the field of experiential. Each approached clients differently, but both approached clients in a deeply human way that doesn't shy away from saying or experiencing what is necessary to affect change.

Talk therapy alone is ineffective without experiencing your growth through applying skills to gain consciousness, awareness, and insight, along with skills and processes to work with the conditions of our lives that challenge us. One must "experience their life" to make actual change.

Hakomi is a type of experiential therapy, which means going beyond talk-therapy to focus on the moment.

Hakomi and Somatic Experiencing are types of experiential therapies, which means working in the present moment experience of what is happening in your body. Sometimes it's helpful for my clients to take a break from using language in order to listen to their bodies.

I make use of experiential techniques often during my meetings to invite processing of emotions, feelings, thoughts, and narratives, especially those that occur between myself and the participant(s). My study and research of experiential techniques have led me to incorporate these practices with my narrative framework to spur awareness and recognition within participants.

Experiential therapy incorporates activities or exercises that you enjoy or would like to try to further explore your feelings and experiences. It might include things like role-playing, journaling, art, music, photography, or movement. But no pressure, just your pace. You’re in control and I’m here to support you.

I believe that to create change, it often helps to feel it first. After building emotional safety, my sessions invite the exploration of new emotional experience. We will invite deeper and different experiences in the room, so that you can "call" upon them outside of the room.

Experiential therapy is a major part of both individual and couples work, especially in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Instead of just talking about feelings, we work with them as they arise, creating corrective emotional experiences. In couples therapy, this means reshaping patterns in real time, helping partners respond to each other in ways that build trust and connection. This process allows for deep, lasting change, relieving and growing both individuals and relationships.

Experiential therapy is a holistic approach by which we engage the entire body in the therapeutic process. This engagement leads to the utilization of more regions of the brain which then leads to better integration.