Liberation-focused Psychotherapy

Hi, I’m Emily

In therapy with me, we explore the stories and beliefs you carry as well as areas of suffering and longing that may need attention. I’m here to accompany you in exploring and making meaning of your experiences; being with someone in this work makes possible things that aren’t as easily achieved alone. 

Our work together can illuminate the multiple ways you feel about something, which is inherently rich. It can also lead to more effective ways of being in relationship with others and with sides of yourself that might be stuck/ in conflict/ traumatized/ burdened by unhelpful beliefs. This work can be difficult and disorienting, but also profound and invigorating–and often playful!–leading to a way of living that aligns with your deepest self. I’m honored to witness and accompany my clients in they explore and transform their lives, and I truly believe that working to expand and heal ourselves serves the work of expanding and healing the larger world.

My treatment approach is trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, sex-positive, and kink-positive, and I draw from a range of treatment modalities: relational therapy techniques, psychoanalytic theory, therapies that focus on the physical body, and Internal Family Systems therapy. I believe we are both going to be changed by being in relationship with each other and that our relationship can itself be a vehicle for healing. I believe it is helpful to make conscious the beliefs, ideas, associations, and stories we hold. I pay attention to the information held and communicated by the body, and listen for ways to make use of our imagination. Sometimes I invite us to think about ourselves as a collection of different self-states or “parts” that are in relationship with each other and can enter into fruitful internal dialogue/ interactions.

I tend toward—and enjoy!—working with trauma survivors, queer and gender-expansive folks, disabled folks, neurodivergent folks, academics, immigrants, creatives and outsiders. That said, I welcome clients holding any and all identities and backgrounds. I believe firmly that personal struggles are shaped by interpersonal and systemic oppression and trauma. I’m attentive to my own imperfections and growth areas as well as to how my own social positioning impacts my client relationships. Feedback is encourage and I’m committed to learning from my mistakes.

Outside of my role as a therapist, I can be found swimming in the ocean, lakes, and rivers, playing old time fiddle, dancing, working on my home, learning to garden, making up games with my nephew and getting my dog Osa out into the woods. Occasionally I make art.