"I had no idea of how much pain I had been carrying around with me, and how, through my work with Meredith, I was able to confront the pain and eventually release it. I was surprised at how alert I became and in control of my life."

Therapies

A central goal of my practice is to assist people in embodying and listening to their true selves. Part of my work with clients is to encourage them to examine old and repetitive patterns that no longer serve them, as a way of facilitating different behavior. This is accomplished by providing a safe, therapeutic space where right brain to right brain connection takes place and the client is mirrored by a compassionate “true other.” Through this secure and caring relationship with each client, I am able to work with them to process deeply rooted feelings and emotions in order to allow for transformation to take place and a sense of peace, wisdom, joy and wholeness to emerge.

Mindfulness is an integral part of my work and, as such, I teach meditation and use visualizations with my clients as an effective way of calming the mind and the feelings, and helping clients change their thought patterns and realize their goals. Because I believe in a wholistic approach to healing the mind, I often refer clients to integrative and alternative health practitioners.
 

Psychotherapy
I practice psychotherapy in a collaborative way – between therapist and client –  in which I help my clients recognize, embrace and respond to their life issues in a realistic manner.  I utilize various therapy modalities with a major focus on AEDP, which, according to its founder Dr. Diana Fosha, is based “on a therapeutic stance characterized by empathy and the willingness to share in the bearing and processing of emotionally intense experience.”  In this work, I provide a secure base for my clients so that they can work through overwhelming experiences in the safety of our therapeutic relationship while tapping into and fostering their inherent strengths.

I encourage clients to identify and explore the choices they have made, the feelings rather than thoughts about what these circumstances have brought about, how challenging and traumatic experiences can be used to develop one’s true potential,  and how to adopt new choices that will attract abundance with grace, clarity, ease and wisdom.

As an emotion-based therapy the focus is always on helping the patient feel, and have the experience of feeling. Through an understanding, accepting, and caring engagement with my clients to talk about their deep emotions and feelings, and have the experience of  feelings, I emphasize their perseverance and courage for sharing them. This enables them to feel that they are being seen and understood, which, in turn, facilitates their healing and creates a new level of exploration and change. The client leaves feeling transformed, freer, cared for, and full of hope.

I also utilize Somatic Experiencing, inviting the client to explore what they are feeling in their body “below the neck.” It is quite common among clients to have a disconnect between their mind and body, and, therefore, in my work with them, I encourage them to think about what they feel, and feel about what they think as a way to connect body and mind.

Somatic Experiencing facilitates the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions, which in turn is not only freeing but healing.
 

Hypnotherapy
I have used hypnotherapy in my practice for more than 30 years. Hypnotherapy is a state of awareness; a state of consciousness where the individual is responsive to ideas, thoughts and understandings and is willing to respond to these ideas and insights. There is a major misconception and apprehension about hypnosis, especially what happens when one is willing to go into a hypnotic state, namely that they will be rendered “asleep” and say or do something “unconsciously” that will be shameful. In reality, however, hypnosis is a very safe therapeutic tool in which the individual is always in control and aware. Hypnosis has been described as “super consciousness.” The hypnotic state is a special awareness and focus that allows the client to hone in on certain areas while blocking out others.