Quick overview of my therapeutic approach

We start with the idea that there is nothing inherently wrong with us, that “basic badness” is not part of the human condition
Together, we acknowledge that there is nothing wrong with us, but there is still something wrong.
We explore your unique identity and how it relates to your experiences and traumas.
We use a mindfulness approach to therapy to help you gain understanding of yourself and how you interact with the world.

My approach to therapy

Instead of starting with the premise of “basic badness,” or the idea that there is something fundamentally wrong with us, Contemplative Psychotherapy puts forth the ideal that this simply is not true. Aside from being rooted in the Buddhist tradition, what makes Contemplative Psychology unique from other forms of therapy is the fact that it starts from a perspective of brilliant sanity (the belief that there is nothing, ultimately, wrong with us) and emphasizes unconditional loving kindness as a means of relating to oneself and others. We are able to recognize moments of brilliant sanity at the times when we feel most alive and present, when our experience seems to be in alignment or congruency, or when things in our life make sense. We might also connect to brilliant sanity when everything is falling apart around us; when things are at their worst we might be open and present and able to act without the usual thoughts of self-doubt or judgments getting in the way.

The feeling of brilliant sanity can be vulnerable, sweet, or warm. It can also be sharp and crystal clear. With training, we can learn to recognize the wisdom in our experiences even amidst times of great pain or turmoil. My aim as a Contemplative psychotherapist, therefore, is to help my clients connect with this innate wisdom and reorient themselves to the understanding that there is actually nothing wrong with them.

That is not to say that there is nothing wrong at all. As a Contemplative therapist who holds a Social Justice Counseling perspective, I believe we are deeply connected to each other-what affects one person, affects us all. Healing individuals is of no use if our institutions are broken, unwell and violent. Using a systems approach, I work to develop awareness around and understand the larger, complex world my clients exist in.

Every individual is unique - we all carry intersecting identities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, economic position, ability, age, body type, religion, and citizenship status, to name a few, therefore, each journey to health is unique as well- In other words, even though my path to well being might very well be dependent on others, it is not yours, nor should it be. Like brilliant sanity, I believe we all have personal power we can tap into, foster and utilize. Cultivating that personal power and agency can help us navigate, and potentially even thrive, in a world where we might not hold other types of power (role, or status, for instance). I see true healing as being able to harness our unique personal power to ultimately affect change in ourselves and the world around us.

Minfulness and you

A mindfulness approach to therapy is the primary path I offer clients to this understanding.

"Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes"

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Although my work is rooted in Buddhist practices and philosophy, the clients I see do not always identify as Buddhist; in fact, most of my clients are not. I welcome people who have contemplative practices rooted in all religious traditions, are interested in starting a contemplative practice, or who have been hurt by faith traditions in the past and identify as atheist or agnostic. My job is always first and foremost, to walk with you on your journey, whatever that means to you.

“Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.”

- Rev. angel Kyodo Williams