Experiential Therapy

Therapy in Sandpoint and Throughout North Idaho, Washington & Montana

Offering in-person therapy from my office in Sandpoint, as well as virtual therapy for clients throughout North Idaho.

I work with adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, relationship difficulties, self-worth struggles, emotional overwhelm, and patterns that may have developed through earlier relationships and life experiences

Therapy Approaches

Coherence Therapy

Coherence Therapy is a modality that is rooted in a memory reconsolidation framework. It aims to help clients bring unconscious learnings (called Schemas) into conscious awareness, where they then can be transformed.

The central idea is that symptoms persist because are coherent within a person’s current emotional framework (or how they’ve adapted to their life experiences).

Once the person becomes fully aware of this coherence, the emotional learning can shift, leading to symptom relief.

Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM)

RTM targets physiological symptoms of trauma. Symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance whether acute or long standing/developmental trauma is appropriate for this intervention.

RTM is a brief, non-traumatizing, and trauma focused behavioral therapy that uses imagery to support client alleviation of PTSD symptoms.

Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy

Heart Centered Hypnotherapy is an experiential intervention utilizing hypnosis, psychotherapy and age regression techniques that supports clients access deeply held emotional material in a gentle way.

The “heart-centered” part refers to bringing a stance of:

  • compassion

  • acceptance

  • unconditional positive regard

  • connection with wounded parts of self

A Different Approach to Trauma Work

  • Memory Reconsolidation- is a natural process within our minds that operates through our experiences and learnings in the world and only “update” when necessary. These learnings often drive our symptoms, behaviors, and emotional reactions automatically, even when the person consciously knows something different. This process can be activated in the therapeutic space experientially, where our emotional learnings can be temporarily modifiable and can aid in creating a natural reduction and transformation of symptoms, behaviors, responses, and feelings about the self and the world.

  • Experiential focus –
    the modalities I used in the therapy room are rooted in the present moment, we aren’t just walking around or talking your past pain points—we’re targeting how they come up for you in the present.

  • By building the attachment experience while holding space for your emotions in new, safe ways, the interventions I use help my clients contact deeper, emotional learnings and core meanings that aren’t always accessible to use on a cognitive or “thinking” level.

  • Working with emotional “core” or origins –
    We will look beyond surface behaviors and thoughts to help you uncover deeper and adjust adaptive/survival mechanisms that drive current symptoms and problems.

  • Keep the Focus on transformation vs. symptom management –
    Rather than us spending time on teaching you coping skills my aim is to support your change at a deeper physiological and psychological level, so that you may feel genuinely different — not just manage your feelings or problems better (surface level supports).

  • Client-centered and collaborative –
    I will follow your process closely and attune to what emerges for you emotionally, creating a sense of safety and connection that allows the deeper work to happen, you won’t have to do it alone. We will collaborate and discover your inner world together to make sense of it, to process emotions, and to work towards your goals you come in with.

A Note on Developmental Trauma:

Developmental trauma is a term used to describe the effects of exposure and experience of stressful events in childhood. These deep, impactful experiences or traumas can manifest into adulthood by way of many symptoms and issues such as: relational issues, feeling safe in our relationships, even if there is evidence to point to them being healthy; negative self image or self esteem, feelings of loneliness, worthlessness or helplessness; symptoms of anxiety or depression, ptsd; emotional dysregulation such as anger, rage, sensitivity; choosing ways to cope that we know is not healthy for us; grief; somatic/body issues; as well as other symptoms that impact our adult lives that we can’t seem to connect a root to.

What if my childhood was OK and I have a good relationship with my family now?

Impactful experiences happen to us not only within our families, but in our relationships with our peers, schools, communities and cultures. Since birth, our nervous systems learn through relationship with others, how to gage for safety in the world we interact with. We’re quick emotional learners and sometimes the meaning we make from these experiences can impact us profoundly.