How did we lose health?
We simply distanced ourselves from nature further than we’d ever been.
— Dr. Zach Bush
How I work
Studies show whether you’re a seasoned analysand or just coming to therapy for the first time, finding the right “fit” for your personality and the content you wish to work on is the most critical factor in a successful therapeutic relationship. Though I welcome all inquiries, please keep in mind that those who seek a therapist with the specialties listed below are most likely to experience a positive working relationship with me in a therapeutic context:
Attachment & Relationships
As my therapist once told me, attachment is the way we see the world; it is not only how we show up in intimate relationships with our closest loved ones. Similarly, as an attachment specialist I see the entire therapeutic enterprise through the lens of relationship. Having trained intimately under legendary gestalt equine therapist Duey Freeman, proprietor of the Freeman Attachment Cycle and Developmental Model, I’ve had the honor of learning about the art of attachment from one of the pioneers in the field. While therapy often encompasses a wide range of specialties and subject matter, my approach will always guide clients towards developing a more secure base from within so that they may navigate the outside world and their relationships in a more loving, stable and resilient manner.
Narrative Therapy & Personal Myth
As creatures of culture, connection and communication we have a biological drive to express ourselves, thus the process of storytelling is deeply woven into the fabric of what makes us uniquely human. When we endure overwhelming experiences in our lives our personal narrative often becomes fragmented. We become confused, disoriented and stuck, repeating the same outdated patterns that prevent us from growing. By reclaiming the personal myth of who we are, where we come from and what happened to us, we’re able to invoke a Phoenician-like archetype that allows us to rise from the ashes of our misfortune and restore the personal agency necessary to actively manifest our most cherished goals, dreams and aspirations in life.
Men & Masculinity
We live in a very complicated time in history with regards to sex, gender, sexuality, relationships and family structures. Far too many of us have grown up with absentee male caregivers, either physically or emotionally. The result is entire generations of the population who struggle internally in the company of men and have great difficultly relating to their own masculine energy, of which all humans possess. I offer the corrective opportunity to nurture a healthy, consistent and reliable relationship with a male figure for all people looking to rediscover their own direction and purpose in life while at the same time uncovering who they truly are in relation to their own inner masculine and feminine energies, as these both exist in tandem.
Depth Psychology & Existential Therapy
The field of psychotherapy has undergone many iterations since its emergence in the late 1800s, and though some trends have come and gone, depth psychology and existential therapy are two branches with proven staying power that I believe to be highly influential and effective. While depth psychology explores the unconscious mind through dreamwork, art, symbolism and mythology, existentialism poses timeless inquires into the human condition with regards to personal responsibility, liberty, meaning, values and purpose. Combined, these two modalities have a similar end goal, which is to enhance consciousness by bringing clients into direct contact with the true, authentic self that is often buried deep below the conditioning of civilized society.
Life Transitions & Growing Up
Live long enough and you’ll come to the knowing that life is really just one big transition. As soon as one stage of our development is complete no sooner does another begin. During these periods is often when we experience the most friction from within and when we turn to others to help serve as beacons to navigate this unpredictable and often intimidating terrain. Because our culture is so fragmented and lost, members of our society who have traditionally ushered us from one stage of our development to the next are difficult to find and many end up turning to therapists to help fill these voids. Having studied and participated in traditional Rites of Passage processes for years it is my honor to help serve as bardo for all the stages of life you may be severing from and moving through.
Spirituality & Nature
Try as we may — and boy are we giving it our all right now — we can never fully escape the billions of years of evolution that have brought us to this point in human history. Our highly industrialized and technocratic society has left our spirit and soul in complete disarray as we no longer maintain connection to nature in a meaningful way. To the many mystics, prophets and indigenous cultures around the world it has always been well understood that nature is the primary conduit through which we experience a connective relationship with the divine forces that shape our inner and outer worlds. If there is any mission I feel most called to in life it is to help mend our collective disconnect from nature so that we may once again breathe life back into our bodies, communities and ecosystems.