Do you ever feel like you know what you should do, but something keeps getting in the way of actually doing it? Maybe you find yourself overthinking, worrying about what might happen, replaying things that have already happened, or struggling with emotions that seem difficult to control. Perhaps you have been through experiences that continue affecting the way you see yourself, your relationships, or the world around you. Maybe you are in recovery and have discovered that stopping the substance or behavior was only the beginning. You may now be trying to understand who you are without it, repair relationships, manage uncomfortable emotions, or create a life that supports long-term recovery. Or perhaps you and your partner care deeply about one another but continue having the same arguments, feeling misunderstood, disconnected, or uncertain about how to move forward. If you are here, there is probably something in your life that you are ready to understand or change.

​

My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, interactive, and practical. Therapy begins with creating a relationship where you can speak openly about what you are experiencing without feeling defined or judged by it. From there, we will identify the patterns that may be keeping you stuck and explore how your experiences, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships have shaped those patterns. Together, we will develop an approach that reflects your individual needs, strengths, values, and goals.

A major influence on my work is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sometimes we spend so much energy trying to eliminate uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, memories, or experiences that the struggle itself begins limiting our lives. ACT offers another way. Instead of requiring every difficult thought or emotion to disappear before you can move forward, we work on developing greater psychological flexibility and learning how to continue taking meaningful action even when discomfort is present. I also incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence one another, identify patterns that may no longer be helping you, and develop healthier, more effective ways of responding.

​

For clients who have experienced trauma or other difficult life experiences, I take a trauma-informed approach that respects your individual readiness and pace. When clinically appropriate, I may also incorporate Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to help address distress associated with difficult experiences and memories.

​

My background in addiction treatment has strongly influenced the therapist I am today. I have worked extensively with individuals experiencing chemical and process addictions through individual counseling, intensive group therapy, family meetings, crisis intervention, assessments, treatment planning, and recovery-focused care. I believe recovery involves much more than simply stopping a substance or behavior. Together, we can explore what purpose addiction may have served, identify triggers and behavioral patterns, strengthen coping strategies, and develop healthier ways of responding to stress, relationships, cravings, and uncomfortable emotions. Using approaches such as ACT and Motivational Interviewing, I help clients explore their own reasons for change while working toward a life that makes continued recovery meaningful.

​

In addition to my work with individuals, I enjoy working with couples and relationship concerns. Relationships can become trapped in cycles where both people care about one another but repeatedly feel unheard, criticized, rejected, defensive, or emotionally disconnected. Couples therapy provides an opportunity to slow these patterns down and understand what is happening beneath the conflict. Together, we may work on communication, emotional connection, conflict resolution, boundaries, trust, resentment, affection, and understanding each partner’s needs and experiences. I do not view couples therapy as a courtroom where the therapist decides who is right or wrong. Instead, I help couples identify the patterns occurring between them and develop healthier ways of responding to one another, creating an environment where both partners can feel heard while also taking responsibility for the behaviors they can change.

​

My clients can expect me to be an active participant in the therapeutic process. I will listen carefully and provide space for you to process difficult experiences, but I will also ask questions, offer observations, provide education, teach practical skills, and appropriately challenge patterns when doing so can support your growth. Some sessions may involve deeper emotional exploration, while others may focus on solving a specific problem, practicing a new skill, or identifying concrete actions to take before our next session. Therapy is individualized because no two people arrive with exactly the same experiences, strengths, challenges, or goals.

​

I incorporate empathy, compassion, encouragement, curiosity, and supportive feedback into my work. I believe people are more than their diagnoses, mistakes, addictions, relationships, or difficult experiences. Understanding what happened is important, but therapy should also help you determine what you want to do next. You may not be able to control every thought that enters your mind, every emotion that shows up, everything that has happened to you, or the choices other people make. But you can develop greater flexibility in how you respond to those experiences.

​

Whether you are working toward long-term recovery, navigating anxiety or depression, processing difficult experiences, strengthening your relationship, or adjusting to a major transition, we will work collaboratively to help you develop greater insight, stronger coping skills, healthier relationships, and actions that reflect what matters most to you. Change does not always mean becoming an entirely different person. Sometimes it begins with understanding yourself more clearly, recognizing what is keeping you stuck, and learning how to respond differently. I look forward to supporting you as you take those next steps.

​

Contact Elijah for a free consultation: 410-357-1833