MY PERSONAL BACKGROUND JOURNEY

Similar to many of my clients, I did not have a proper couple role model for what healthy romantic companionship looks like. In the wake of my parent’s divorce at age 13, I became an avid reader—looking to 19th century British, American, French and Russian literature for romantic role models. Some of my favorite novels were Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind and Colette’s Chéri and The Last of Chéri. Some of my favorite poems were Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116: Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds,” Sharon Olds’s “Sex Without Love,” and Ted Hughe’s “Lovesong.” Early on I formed a lofty, idealistic version of love and with this intensely romantic perspective, marched into the trenches of love. With my empathy and understanding of relational difficulties in this modern world, I can help guide you to inner closure and healing.

Following the Six Propositions of Existential therapy, we will enhance your:

Capacity for Self-awareness: We are capable of increasing our awareness of alternatives, motivations, and influencing factors in our lives. As this self-awareness is developed, our potential for personal fulfillment is increased. 

Freedom and Responsibility: As humans, we are free to choose alternatives in our lives. This means that we play the most significant role in shaping our destiny. This also means that we are responsible for our own actions.

Establishing an Identity and Meaningful Relationships: As humans, we are each capable of finding a unique personal identity. We are more than what others expect of us. However, we also strive to be connected to other people and depend on relationships. It is important to distinguish between these two parts of our lives. 

Finding Meaning: As humans, we constantly desire to understand the significance and purpose of our lives. Therefore, it's essential that we find meaning in the struggles that we face. Finding this meaning allows us to establish values and goals that give us a purpose for who we are and why we are here.

Anxiety is Unavoidable: Feelings of anxiety are an inevitable part of human existence. Anxiety cannot be eliminated, so we must instead develop the courage to overcome it or ride with it. We should learn to look at anxiety as a stimulus for personal growth. 

Awareness of Mortality: We are all mortal. This means that death is inevitable. In the existential view, this actually adds significance to our lives because we have a finite period of time in which to accomplish our goals. Thus, we should strive to spend time on the things that we value as important. A fear of death can prevent us from enjoying the life that we have.