Addiction & Trauma

For some people, drinking or recreational drug use can provide a way to have fun with friends, relax after a long week, or celebrate important milestones, and such activities don’t affect life negatively. However, for many of us, these behaviors start to impact us over time in ways that become detrimental to our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Perhaps obligations with family or career are not being fulfilled; perhaps others are starting to notice that you are no longer acting like yourself; perhaps the hangovers or coming-down times are becoming harder to endure. In these situations and others, more structured and consistent support in therapy can help you recover your balance and regain forward movement in life.

Many individuals who seek my help feel increasingly unhappy when engaging compulsively in sexual behaviors that are outside of their personal values. Since people have different values regarding sex, the actual behavior is rarely the key factor, but rather it’s the level of distress that the frequency of engagement is causing you. Together, we can help you find a healthier rhythm to your erotic expression. 

Being a sex-positive therapist, my approach is never to judge any particular erotic expression, or expect clients to conform to some specific behavioral standard. Rather, I can explore with you what patterns may be putting your well-being at risk, and what sexual habits may be negatively impacting your ability to have healthy connections with the people in your life. I have extensive training in this area and am eager to bring compassionate attention to your personal challenges, especially when sexual variety is so frequently misunderstood, frowned upon, or not talked about. Together, we can help you emerge out of unsatisfying sexual dynamics to experience more pleasing eroticism, freedom from shame, and peace-of-mind. 

Trauma can occur in many forms and at different stages of life. Sometimes the effect is devastating, or often it can be more subtle but still challenging. Trauma can reduce our ability to build connections and trust with others, cause sexual problems, or reappear in abusive relationships. Some of you may have experienced flashbacks, hypervigilance, and/or nightmares. I will shape my approach for healing based on your individual experience and needs. 

Our trauma can be caused by patterns of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in childhood, including  growing up in a homophobic family and culture, experiencing racism, or being bullied. Sometimes, emotional symptoms develop after a single acute incident, such as a bad car accident or witnessing a violent act. My training and experience in sensorimotor psychotherapy allow me to integrate traditional talk therapy with techniques from contemporary neurobiological research and recent advances in understanding how our bodies process core emotions. By working carefully with these body-mind-heart linkages, I can help you reclaim your vitality, creativity, and capacity for love.