I believe that everyone wants to be loved and have meaningful connections with their family, friends, and coworkers in a way that brings them joy and satisfaction. As simple as it may sound, it is not always easy to do. From the beginning, I start from a non-judgmental, curious place and work hard to encourage my client to develop this stance for him or herself. I enjoy working with those who are willing to work hard and who are open to new possibilities. When working with adults, I focus on psychodynamic (talk) therapy and supportive therapy to help my clients gain more insight into unhelpful behaviors and belief systems, unresolved conflicts, and unconscious motivations and habits that are impacting their functioning and how they relate to others and the world around them. Strong feelings (such as shame, guilt, fear, and anger) will start to diminish when clients can connect the dots and see things more objectively. My experience has taught me that these direct and compassionate approaches allow my clients to increase more awareness of one’s own thoughts, feelings, relationship patterns, and unhealthy coping skills that have gotten in the way of one’s happiness and success. I believe that long-lasting changes are likely to occur as one continues to grow and adopt self-compassion towards one’s life.