I'm collaborative at my core. This is your journey and you are the designer of your life. I see myself as a guide who walks alongside you rather than an expert prescribing solutions from above. I ask questions that might initially feel uncomfortable because they invite you to look at what you've been avoiding, but I do this with genuine curiosity and compassion, never judgment. My style blends intellectual depth with emotional authenticity. I'll draw on neuroscience, psychoanalytic frameworks, and trauma research to help you understand what's happening beneath the surface, but I ground these concepts in real human experience - often including my own. I believe in treating you as an intelligent adult who can handle complexity and nuance. I'm reflective and take our work seriously, but I'm not rigid or overly formal. There's room for lightness and even humor when it emerges naturally. What matters most is that our conversations feel real - not performative, not sanitized, but genuinely human. I won't pretend to have all the answers, and I'll be transparent about my own thinking process and limitations. Expect me to challenge you when I see patterns that aren't serving you, but always from a place of believing in your capacity for growth and change. I'm direct when directness serves you, gentle when gentleness is needed, and always focused on helping you reconnect with your own inner knowing rather than becoming dependent on mine.

Our sessions are structured enough to create safety and direction, yet fluid enough to follow what's actually alive in you. We'll establish goals together - whether that's understanding recurring patterns, processing specific experiences, or navigating a life transition - but I won't rigidly force us to stick to an agenda if something more important emerges in the moment. I engage through deep, curious inquiry. Expect me to ask questions that slow you down and invite you to notice what's happening in your body, your emotions, and your thoughts as we speak. This is the heart of Compassionate Inquiry - creating space for you to discover your own truth rather than me telling you what it should be. Sometimes this means sitting with uncomfortable feelings; other times it means examining beliefs you've carried for years without questioning. You can expect: - Sessions that integrate understanding (the "why" behind your patterns) with embodied awareness (what you're actually feeling and experiencing) - Space to think out loud and explore without premature solutions or platitudes - Practical frameworks when they're useful, personal stories when they illuminate, and silence when you need time to process - Homework or reflection exercises between sessions if that supports your growth, but never busywork - Honest feedback and observations, delivered with care and respect for your autonomy I track themes and patterns across our conversations, occasionally naming what I notice and inviting you to examine whether it resonates. My role is to help you see yourself more clearly - including the parts you've learned to hide or reject - so you can make conscious choices rather than operating on autopilot.