Relational Therapy

Trained to focus on therapeutic relationship, transference, and countertransference.

As a relationally-trained therapist, I specialize in working with clients by using a systemic perspective. This means that we will explore a client’s relationship to themselves, to others, and to society as a whole.

Central to the relational therapy approach is the idea that we are shaped by our social world and relationships, and that having good relationships is essential for our wellbeing. The main goal of relational therapy is to examine how one's relationships with others have affected their emotional and mental health. Through this investigation, people can learn new techniques for creating healthier and more fulfilling relationships and a deeper awareness of their relationship patterns.

The best predictor of success in counseling is the relationship between client and therapist. I pour my energy into hearing, understanding and respecting my clients, believing what they tell me, and checking in to ensure the space we share is safe and supportive. We build relational skills that clients then take into their own relationships outside of therapy, enriching their support networks to ensure success is sustained.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I am always steering couples and individuals towards relational health. Moving towards relational health can be challenging. Often it requires stronger boundaries which upsets the dynamics families and couples are used to. However, the rewards of relational health are living a more purpose, authenticity, and joy.

Relational psychotherapy is an offshoot of psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy, both of which have a long and varied history going back to Sigmund Freud. As its basic premise, psychoanalysis assumes that people are often unaware of the factors that contribute to their mental and emotional state, and that uncovering these unconscious processes and assumptions leads to wellness. The way it is practiced today, there is a wide variety of approaches and styles in psychoanalysis (i.e. Freudian, Jungian, Object-Relations, Relational) that can look and feel quite different from the stereotype of the silent analyst saying only “Mmm Hmm” as the patient talks. Psychoanalysis is distinguished from psychoanalytic psychotherapy by both the frequency and setup of therapy. In psychoanalysis the patient usually comes in 2 – 5 times per week and often lays on a couch facing away from the therapist, whereas psychoanalytic psychotherapy incorporates the same theories and methodology of analysis without the same level of involvement. Psychoanalysts are required to undergo an additional educational training that often lasts for many years before being able to be called an analyst and perform analysis, whereas many therapists work from psychoanalytically-informed perspective and are well-trained in a psychoanalytic approach.

Relational therapy is founded in the belief that healing happens in the context of relationships with one another. This approach to treatment is based in strengths-based empowerment. Exploring your wants and needs in the relationships around you, as well as your relationships with yourself. Increasing connection with yourself and others can be profoundly transformative.

Understanding the relationships in individuals lives that have impacted them in the past and present. I am trained in psychodynamic theories that evaluate how our social world shapes our understanding of ourselves and others we are in relationship with.

I see the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for the work of therapy. I strive to engage compassionately and authentically, and to enter into a collaborative space with the client that is based on building trust, openness, and curiosity. I invite clients to provide me with feedback about their experiences in our time together, as these reactions can often help us strengthen our relationship as well as build insight into patterns a client may be experiencing in the rest of their life.

I use Relational Therapy in a lot of my work with clients. Humans are relational beings and are constantly impacted by the relationships they hold. Having good relationships is essential for our wellbeing.

Relational therapists believe that those who have been harmed within the context of a relationship must be healed withing the context of a relationship. The therapeutic relationship is built upon mutuality, authenticity, and collaboration. The therapist recognizes the power that they do hold as the "expert" within the relationship and is intentional about creating a power-with dynamic, where the client's agency and self-determination is fostered and encouraged.

The core foundation of good therapeutic work is a relationship built on warmth, authenticity, and trust, where all parties learn from one another. Our approach pays close attention to what is happening moment-to-moment and explores the ways that we are impacting each other. We know that therapy is incredibly vulnerable and can feel intimidating! Our therapists are not blank slates-knowing about the person you're sharing with and what they stand for makes sharing a little bit easier.

I have been working with relationship, culture and role throughout my career.

My theoretical foundation is Relational Cultural Theory. Informed by recent developments in neuroscience, this feminist theory has a history of practitioners changing their presuppositions in response to constructive criticism. It prioritizes mutuality, relationship, and community as the tools by which to change one's life individually and collectively, often in opposition to oppression.

I am a relational therapist, and I am comfortable working with clients on various issues that arise in their relationships. For nearly the past five years, I have facilitated a "Healthy Relationships" group. Some of the recurring relational therapy topics are social factors, such as culture, race, class, heteronormativity, and intersectionality. Relational therapy is helpful when an individual is experiencing some discomfort from their intimate, professional, family, or social relationships.