AEDP® is a therapy model grounded in the idea that many symptoms develop as ways of protecting us from emotions that once felt overwhelming, unsafe, or unsupported.

Rather than staying only in thoughts or analysis, AEDP helps people slow down and notice what is happening underneath these protective patterns: in emotions, the nervous system, and the body itself.

Together, we explore the difference between defenses, emotions like shame or anxiety that block deeper feelings, and core emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, joy, or grief that carry important information about our needs, boundaries, losses, and desires.

A tool often used in AEDP called the Change Triangle helps make these patterns easier to understand and work with. The goal is not simply insight, but helping emotions move through in a safe, supported way so people feel more connected to themselves, more emotionally free, and less stuck in survival patterns.

Learn more at www.aedpinstitute.org

IFS is an evidence-based approach that understands each of us as having different “parts” — aspects of our personality that carry emotions, memories, and protective roles. Some parts may feel wounded, while others work hard to keep us safe, even if in ways that no longer serve us. In therapy, we gently explore these inner parts with curiosity and compassion, helping them unburden old roles and make space for greater balance and self-leadership. I integrate IFS-informed practices into my work to support this inner healing process. Learn more at www.ifs-institute.com.

Dreamwork is an approach that explores the images, symbols, and stories that arise in our dreams. Rather than interpreting dreams in a fixed way, it invites us to stay curious about what our dreams might reveal about our inner world, emotions, and unresolved experiences. Working with dreams can open new perspectives, deepen self-understanding, and connect unconscious material with our waking life in meaningful ways.

Expressive arts therapy uses creative processes such as drawing, writing, imagery, movement, or metaphor to help access experiences that are difficult to put into words. It can be especially helpful when emotions feel stuck, unclear, or overwhelming. Rather than focusing on artistic skill, the emphasis is on expression and exploration. The creative process becomes a way of understanding inner experience more deeply, bypassing habitual thinking and allowing new meaning, emotion, and insight to emerge.

Existential therapy is a philosophical and humanistic approach that focuses on life’s deeper questions: meaning, freedom, mortality, identity, and responsibility. Rather than trying to “fix” symptoms, it invites us to explore how we relate to uncertainty, choice, and the search for purpose. This approach helps you face challenges with honesty and courage, and to live in ways that feel more authentic and aligned with your values.

ACT is an evidence-based approach that helps people build psychological flexibility, which is the ability to stay present, open up to difficult emotions, and make choices guided by personal values. Instead of trying to eliminate painful thoughts or feelings, ACT focuses on changing our relationship to them, so they have less power over our lives. This approach supports you in living more meaningfully, even in the presence of challenges.