How I operate as an MFT
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are licensed mental health clinicians who specialize in working with relational systems. This often means seeing couples or families together in session to work through ongoing relational difficulties or process major ruptures. It also means working with individual clients while maintaining an emphasis on the impact our closest relationships have on us as social beings.
Myth: MFTs only see couples and families.
Fact: Most of us work with many individuals as well.
The relationship is part of the therapy
Another, often unacknowledged, aspect of relational therapy is the importance of the relationship between the therapist and the client. One of, if not the most, influential factors in client progress stems from the rapport their therapist has built with them. I believe in using the therapeutic relationship to demonstrate a model of trust, safety, and genuine connection that clients can carry into their relationships outside of the therapy room.
A non-pathologizing approach
A major value I practice in my work is being non-pathologizing. Often, our symptoms are reasonable reactions to the stresses of modern life. I seek to balance the identification and labeling of problems that the healthcare model often requires to justify care, while holding the complexity and flexibility that comes with being human. This extends to using a person-centered approach that pulls from many modalities and interventions to create an individualized plan, rather than shoving one’s entire story into a rigid, cookie-cutter approach.
Building compassion for our most vulnerable parts
A common aspect of my work includes guiding clients in identifying and building compassion for the most vulnerable parts of themselves. I believe that awareness of our core wounds, and acknowledging what they seek, is a major step toward becoming an integrated and regulated version of ourselves. Within relational work, MFTs value each family member’s complex inner world to understand the reciprocal impact loved ones have on each other, for better and for worse.
Beyond talk therapy: art and sandtray
This is often explored using talk therapy; however, I also use experiential interventions that draw on the abstract, creative sides of our brains to bring out hidden meaning clients were unaware existed, or felt unable to verbalize. This can look like art therapy or, in my office, occasionally creating scenes with figurines in response to open-ended prompts.
It often feels silly at first, but I have seen couples engage in transformative experiences through their sandtray creations that brought forth repressed emotions and new insight to help them find a new path forward. Even when that isn’t the case, sandtray therapy can simply serve as an interesting activity that disrupts the often rigid flow of typical talk therapy sessions.
A shared exploration
Ultimately, therapy with me serves as a shared exploration, whether we are working to unravel deeply ingrained relational dynamics, using creative interventions to access unspoken feelings, or establishing a secure environment for self-reflection. I approach this work with genuine warmth, thoughtful curiosity, and a non-pathologizing stance to help you or your family discover what is necessary to cultivate healing, integration, and meaningful connection. I would be honored to accompany you as you take the next step toward your personal growth.