My Therapeutic Approach​

My approach to counseling is centered on relationship and is a mixture of Top-Down and Bottom-Up approaches to trauma treatment. I view trauma through a Biblical lens, having an understanding of God's purpose for His people in bringing restoration and deliverance through Jesus Christ. 

How we see and feel about ourselves and the world is influenced by key moments in relationship from the time we are born to the present. Understanding your experience and roles in your family of origin, as well as other events in childhood, often gives us insight into long standing beliefs or patterns you may find yourself in today. 

Trauma and wounding throughout our lives can also set us up to make agreements or vows, which are deep beliefs that don't line up with the truth of God's Word. We might know intellectually something is not true, but still find ourselves operating out of those lies, unable to shake them. Our work together will explore those areas.

​I will help you to name stories that need to be grieved and wrestled with; this process of looking at the truth of your story will create space to begin moving away from lies and deep-rooted patterns that keep you stuck. This is considered a "top-down" approach to treating trauma; it's focused more on cognitive processing, creating awareness and insight, and is considered a typical element of talk therapy.

The "bottom-up" approach I utilize in treating trauma is EMDR, which aids in processing through what has been stored in the brain and body as a result of trauma.  

EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation, which helps connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain during the processing of the distressing memories. The experiences, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations associated with the trauma get processed through, similarly to the way REM sleep assists in putting our experiences into long-term memory while we sleep. Processing the distressing events with EMDR through the lens of the Gospel helps to synthesize traumatic events alongside Truth, so that healing can take place and triggers no longer hold the same power or sting they previously did.