I was born and raised in Italy and trained and licensed as a therapist in the US. That background gives me a somewhat outside perspective on American mental health culture. I am skeptical of the idea that we need to constantly improve or optimize ourselves, and I don't believe every difficult emotion needs to be pathologized. I value curiosity, nonjudgment, humor, and taking people's experiences seriously.
I believe therapy should lead to meaningful change. I work collaboratively to understand what is keeping you stuck and choose the treatment based on the problem rather than forcing everyone into the same approach. I draw from evidence-based treatments including ERP, CBT, DBT, EMDR, Compassion Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. I tend to be active and straightforward, and I will be honest about what I think is working and what isn't.
The first session is primarily about understanding what brought you to therapy and what you would like to be different. I will ask questions about what you are experiencing, how it developed, and how it is affecting your life. We will begin developing a shared understanding of the problem and discuss what treatment might look like. It is also an opportunity for both of us to decide whether working together feels like a good fit.
