My Approach
(how I help you become more you)
Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS) was developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, founder of IFS Institute and author of No Bad Parts. The IFS model assumes a few things are true: we all have a multitude of parts (or personalities) within us; all our parts have good intent (to protect us) but some are stuck in harmful roles due to burdens they carry; and we all have a core Self that is capable of compassionately leading, listening to, and healing our burdened parts.
IFS is a transformational framework and model (meaning it aims to transform your burdens, not just help you live with them). Using IFS, we'll engage your internal conflicts, release burdens or agreements that no longer serve you, and reintegrate previously exiled parts of you. After some time practicing IFS with me, you'll be able to practice it on your own, too.
Allender Theory
The Allender Theory is based on the work of Dr. Dan Allender, co-founder of The Allender Center and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. The Allender Theory is a narrative framework that helps us engage, with kindness, parts of our story we've neglected or told with shame and contempt. Using the Allender approach to story, we'll uncover and heal parts of you still bound to shame, and we'll help them move from a stance of contempt to one of blessing. The Allender Theory will teach you to attune to both your own story and the stories of others with hope and compassion.
Holistic Framework
Have you ever noticed your body and heart don't always agree with what your mind believes to be true? Majority culture values cognitive reasoning above other ways of knowing and experiencing — but your mind is not the only (nor the most significant) part of you that determines what you do and who you become! Real and lasting transformation involves the whole of you: mind, body, soul and spirit.
To transform, we must engage how we live in or attempt to escape our bodies. In some cases, the body responds to current events based on its memory of danger from long ago. For some, trauma is systemic and ongoing, so the body needs compassionate care while the threat to safety continues. Often, in an attempt to protect ourselves from more pain, we ignore what our bodies are telling us, which unfortunately leads to even more trauma. By teaching you to be mindful and attuned to your own body, I can help you identify what kind of care will be most beneficial. Instead of being at war with your body or reacting to stress in compulsive and harmful ways, you can learn to listen to and even love your own body, receiving and responding to its wisdom with kindness, agency, and integrity.
When it comes to pursuing wholeness, we must also engage the soul and spirit. Some folks want to know if my coaching is faith-based, and my answer is both yes and no; while my own faith is rooted in Christianity, I have no interest in persuading my clients to adopt a particular set of beliefs or expression of faith. To me, caring for you well means I continually do the work of becoming a safe and culturally sensitive person with whom you can name the truth about where you've been, where you are now, and where your soul most wants to go next.