My Approach

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is an emerging, neuroscience-informed therapeutic modality designed to access and resolve deeply embedded traumatic experiences at the level of the brainstem. DBR focuses on the neurobiological sequence that occurs during moments of relational threat or attachment shock—events that are often precognitive and encoded beneath conscious awareness.

DBR works by guiding the client into a mindful and finely attuned awareness of subtle orienting responses—such as minute eye movements, shifts in tension, or visceral sensations—that occur as the brainstem detects a threat. These responses typically precede the emotional and cognitive experience of trauma. By slowing down and tracking these micro-level signals in a safe and regulated environment, the therapist helps the client access the original pre-affective orienting reflexes associated with the traumatic experience before the full emotional and somatic overwhelm takes place.

Through this process, the trauma is not simply revisited or narrated but is processed directly at its root—within the subcortical systems responsible for survival. This allows for the implicit memory of trauma to be reorganized, reducing symptoms such as hypervigilance, dissociation, and emotional dysregulation. Importantly, DBR does not require detailed verbal recounting of the traumatic event, making it particularly effective for individuals with complex or early developmental trauma, where verbal memory may be limited or fragmented.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy method. It is designed to facilitate the adaptive processing of distressing or traumatic memories that have become maladaptively stored in the brain’s neural networks, often leading to symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, heightened arousal, and emotional dysregulation.

EMDR is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which posits that psychological symptoms arise when traumatic or overwhelming experiences are not fully processed at the time they occur, often due to the intensity of the event or the individual’s inability to integrate it. These unprocessed memories remain “frozen” in the nervous system, stored in fragmented, sensory-based forms, and continue to be triggered by reminders in the present.

During EMDR sessions, the therapist guides the client through a structured eight-phase protocol that includes history-taking, preparation, and the identification of target memories for processing. Central to the method is bilateral stimulation (BLS)—typically in the form of guided eye movements, alternating auditory tones, or tactile taps—which is used while the client simultaneously focuses on elements of the traumatic memory.

As the memory is reprocessed, the associated distress tends to diminish, and more adaptive beliefs and emotional responses begin to emerge. EMDR does not involve detailed verbal recounting or prolonged exposure, making it suitable for a wide range of individuals, including those with complex trauma or limited verbal access to early experiences.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a comprehensive, evidence-based model of psychotherapy that conceptualizes the human mind as a complex system composed of multiple subpersonalities or “parts,” each with its own emotions, beliefs, intentions, and memories. These parts are not pathological, but rather adaptive and purposeful components of the psyche, often developed in response to life experiences—especially trauma or relational wounding. 

In therapy, clients learn to identify and relate to these parts not as problems to be eliminated but as wounded or protective subpersonalities in need of attention and care. Through a process of “unblending,” clients begin to differentiate their Self from these parts and build a trusting relationship with them.

The therapeutic process involves the Self engaging with parts through a stance of compassion, curiosity, and non-judgment, enabling parts to express their roles and underlying fears. Over time, this leads to the release of burdens—often in the form of deeply held beliefs, emotions, or memories—and the restoration of parts to their natural, healthy states. Neuroimaging studies and clinical outcomes suggest that IFS may promote integration across brain networks involved in emotion regulation, memory, and identity coherence. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of IFS in treating a range of conditions, including complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and dissociative disorders. By fostering internal dialogue and emotional integration, IFS cultivates a greater sense of psychological wholeness, coherence, and inner leadership, empowering individuals to navigate life with clarity, confidence, and balance.

This philosophical foundation guides how I understand human experience: as something lived, felt, and unfolded in context. Instead of viewing symptoms as problems to be eliminated, existential therapy invites us to explore the deeper meanings and questions behind our suffering. Who am I? What does it mean to be free, to love, to suffer, to choose? This approach honors the complexity of being human and makes space for the questions that have no easy answers.

Integrates the principles of Polyvagal Theory, which highlights the role of the autonomic nervous system—particularly the vagus nerve—in shaping emotional regulation, social behavior, and stress responses. By recognizing how neural circuits of safety and threat modulate physiological states, this approach enables us to tailor interventions that support autonomic regulation and co-regulation. It is particularly effective in addressing trauma-related dysregulation, as it emphasizes bottom-up processing and the restoration of neurophysiological safety, thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes in individuals with anxiety, PTSD, and affective disorders