Specialized Therapy for Complex Presentations
Evidence-based treatment for adults struggling with emotion dysregulation, relationship patterns, identity challenges, and chronic symptoms that require more than standard approaches.
Sometimes assessment reveals that you'd benefit from specialized treatment approaches—therapy that goes beyond standard CBT or supportive counseling to address the patterns keeping symptoms in place.
I offer evidence-based therapy for select clients when assessment indicates they would benefit from the specific treatments I provide. This includes mentalization-based approaches for personality functioning, DBT-informed treatment for emotion dysregulation, exposure-based interventions for anxiety, and trauma-focused therapies.
Who Therapy Is For
I work with adults who:
Feel like they never quite perform to the level they should or could—across work, relationships, hobbies, and daily life
Can't maintain consistent performance and are really impacted when things change in their environment or context
Experience intense emotions that interfere with relationships or goals
Struggle with unstable sense of self or identity confusion
Have recurring relationship patterns that keep causing problems
Have tried standard therapy approaches with limited lasting success
Need treatment that addresses underlying personality functioning, not just surface symptoms
Want evidence-based approaches that target what's actually maintaining their difficulties
Treatment Approaches I Offer
Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) for Personality Functioning
For adults who struggle with understanding their own emotions and motivations or reading others accurately—leading to relationship difficulties, impulsive reactions, and feeling like you can't maintain consistency across life domains. MBT helps you develop better capacity to reflect on mental states (yours and others'), which improves emotion regulation, relationships, and sense of self.
Good fit for:
Difficulty maintaining consistent performance when context changes
Unstable relationships or recurring relationship patterns
Feeling like you never perform to your potential
Identity confusion or unstable sense of self
Intense emotional reactions that disrupt your life
Impulsive behaviors under stress
DBT-Informed Treatment for Emotion Dysregulation
For adults who experience intense, overwhelming emotions that are hard to manage—leading to impulsive actions, relationship conflicts, or avoidance of situations that trigger distress. I provide DBT skills training and application (without requiring full DBT program enrollment) for people who need targeted work on emotion regulation.
Good fit for:
Intense emotions that feel out of proportion
Difficulty tolerating distress without impulsive action
Self-destructive behaviors when emotionally overwhelmed
Relationship conflicts driven by emotional intensity
Avoidance of situations due to anticipated emotional distress
Exposure-Based CBT for Anxiety
For adults with anxiety disorders (panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, OCD) who need systematic exposure work to reduce avoidance and build confidence. Uses evidence-based exposure interventions.
Good fit for:
Specific phobias or panic attacks
Social anxiety limiting your life
OCD with compulsive behaviors
Avoidance that's narrowed your world
Anxiety about performance situations
Trauma-Focused Treatment
For adults with PTSD or complex trauma who need specialized interventions beyond standard talk therapy. I'm trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET).
Good fit for:
PTSD symptoms (intrusive memories, avoidance, hypervigilance)
Complex trauma affecting relationships and sense of self
Trauma that's responded poorly to general therapy
Need for structured, evidence-based trauma processing
How Therapy Works
Initial Consultation: We'll discuss your assessment results (if you've completed one) or your current presentation and determine if specialized therapy is appropriate.
Treatment Planning: Together we'll identify specific targets and choose the approach that matches your needs—whether that's mentalization-based work, DBT skills, exposure-based interventions, or trauma processing.
Session Structure: Sessions are structured and goal-directed. We'll work on specific skills, patterns, or symptoms using evidence-based techniques.
Ongoing Assessment: We'll track progress regularly and adjust the approach as needed.
Insurance & Affordability: I'm out-of-network with insurance, but I use Mentaya to make reimbursement simple and automatic. Most clients get 62% back on therapy. Check your exact out-of-network benefits using the Mentaya widget on my Fees & Policies page—you'll see your expected costs upfront before starting therapy.
Therapy vs. Assessment: What's the Difference?
Assessment provides diagnostic clarity—you'll understand what's driving your symptoms and get comprehensive recommendations for treatment.
Therapy is ongoing treatment targeting specific patterns and symptoms. Most clients start with assessment to get clarity, then either find appropriate treatment elsewhere or continue with me if their presentation matches my clinical expertise.
Not everyone who completes assessment continues therapy with me—and that's by design. The goal is to help you find the right treatment match, whether that's with me or with specialized providers elsewhere.
When Continuing Therapy Makes Sense
You might continue therapy with me after assessment if:
Your assessment reveals personality functioning difficulties that would benefit from mentalization-based approaches
You need DBT-informed treatment for emotion regulation
You have anxiety disorders requiring exposure-based work
You have PTSD or complex trauma requiring specialized treatment
You feel like you can't perform consistently across life domains and are really impacted by contextual changes
Standard therapy approaches haven't addressed the underlying patterns
What I Don't Treat
To ensure you get appropriate care, I want to be clear about what's outside my scope:
Crisis intervention or emergency services
Couples therapy or family therapy (I work with individuals)
People under the age of 18
If you need something outside my scope, I'll help connect you with appropriate resources.
Getting Started
If you haven't completed assessment: We'll start with a consultation to determine if therapy makes sense or if assessment should come first.
If you've completed assessment elsewhere: Bring your assessment report and we'll determine if your presentation matches my areas of expertise.
If you completed assessment with me: We'll discuss recommendations from your assessment and determine if continuing therapy is clinically appropriate.