Connection is at the Core of our Suffering and the Foundation for our Healing
When we talk about connection, we’re not just referring to a pleasant feeling of closeness. It’s a biological and emotional necessity. As infants, our sense of safety and our ability to regulate our emotions are co-regulated by our primary caregivers. When those early connections are nurturing and consistent, our nervous system learns how to find safety, how to return to calm after stress, and how to trust that our needs will be met.
But if those early connections were unpredictable, absent, or even harmful, they can leave lasting imprints. The nervous system may stay in a state of hypervigilance or it may collapse, not quite knowing how to find a safe and steady state. This can manifest as anxiety, depression, loneliness, anger, difficulty trusting others in a relationship or feeling disconnected from yourself.
As a child, we develop brilliant adaptive survival strategies that help us create a perceived sense of safety, connection, and love based in response to our early connection blueprints. But as adults, these survival strategies become outdated, and damaging, and prevent us from feeling safe in the world, finding love and partnership, making sound decisions around our careers, becoming the parent we want to be, or finding a sense of purpose in our lives. When we feel the consequences of this repeated behavior, we become stuck, lost, and exhausted with life.
That’s great and all, but how do I “fix” this and feel better?
Healing isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about reclaiming your sense of safety, authenticity, and capacity for joy. It is a personal and relational journey, and I believe that each person has an innate capacity for growth, resilience, and self-discovery, even in difficult times. My role as a therapist is to offer a safe, compassionate space where you can explore your experiences, reconnect with your inner wisdom, and move toward a greater sense of wholeness.
How do you approach this?
Our emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations are all connected, shaping how we experience life and relationships. Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, loneliness, anger, and distress aren’t just in the mind, they also live in your nervous system and body. This is why I take a gentle, body-centered approach to healing. I utilize my background in Somatic Experiencing, Inner-Relationship Focus, Somatic Touch Work, Primal Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and just being human for the past 45 years to help you tune into your inner experience, cultivate self-awareness, and process emotions in a safe and supportive way.
I see symptoms not as signs of something "wrong" with you, but as adaptive responses to life’s challenges. Together, we will explore your behavior patterns, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations with curiosity rather than judgment, creating space for new possibilities to emerge. Therapy is a collaborative and empowering process that nurtures self-compassion, strengthens connections, and supports meaningful change.
Taking the First Step: Healing at Your Own Pace
If you are interested in learning what it means to BE YOU, I would be honored to walk alongside you on your healing journey. Schedule a Consultation. I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation, OR if you have any questions, send a message through my Contact Form.