My Approach: How I Work
The Heart of the Conversation
I love it when we get into a good rhythm of asking big questions together (the kind that spark new ideas you can actually take outside our conversations and use). My hope is that you leave our sessions feeling a bit surprised by what’s possible, carrying the things you care about most from our talks into your daily life so they can start making a real difference.
I’m committed to a space where you feel seen, valued, and ready to get somewhere new. I don’t offer fixes or labels. Instead, I invite you into a conversation where we can figure out together how you’d prefer to navigate life’s complications!
How I Work: 4 Pillars
While our conversation is relational and grounded, I draw on several established frameworks to help us move forward. This includes:
1. An Open Process
I don’t keep secrets about how I work. Whether it’s how I take notes during our sessions or my business policies, I aim for a relationship where my work is out in the open with you. I believe that transparency reduces the "mystique" of therapy and helps us stay on more level footing with each other. I'll strive to keep you in the know on where I'm coming from and how I'm supporting you.
2. Your Agency & An Invitational Approach
You are the boss of the conversation. You decide what we talk about, how deep we go, and you always have the right to "pass" on a question. This is part of an invitational approach, which is one that respects your autonomy and looks at how we use our power and stay true to our commitments to ourselves and others. I’m not interested in imposing anything on you, and feel it would be disrespectful of me. I’m here to invite you into a space where you feel safe to reclaim your voice and your choices.
3. Experience Over Labels
I’m much more interested in your lived experience than in fitting you into a clinical category. In my practice, I work from the belief that problems don't define a person. So, instead of focusing on a list of symptoms, we can focus on the things that actually matter to you: your values, your skills, and the life you are trying to build despite the hurdles in your way.
4. Inclusivity
I stay very mindful of how the world around us shapes how we feel—including our culture, our history, and our identities. This is especially true for those of us living as expats or immigrants in Japan, where navigating a different culture adds its own layer of complexity.
I’m committed to a space where hospitality and respect are central. Whether you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community or coming from any other walk of life, you are welcome here. Whoever you are and however you identify, I’m here to join you and work alongside you, exactly as you are.
How I Work: The Tools in my Bag
While our conversation is relational and grounded, I draw on several established frameworks to help us move forward. This includes:
Narrative Therapy & Invitational Approaches
This is the heart of my work. In Narrative Therapy conversations, we look at the stories and "labels" that affect you and the people around you, and find ways to reclaim your agency from the problems that try to take over.
Drawing on Invitational Narrative ideas, I focus on a stance of deep respect and my personal accountability as a counsellor. I am keen to invite you to navigate life and relationships in ways that align with your own ethics and commitments. This means I'm interested in how we use our power and how we stay true to our commitments to others and ourselves.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Sometimes we can get so buried in the "why" of a problem that we lose sight of the "how" of a solution. I might use SFBT to help us keep an eye on what is already working in your life. We can focus on your preferred future to keep us on target, looking for those small, meaningful shifts and "exceptions" to the problem that we can build on right now.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
ACT is what’s known as a "3rd Generation" CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) approach. Unlike older styles that focus on "modifying" your thoughts, ACT is about changing your relationship with them. We might use practical, mindfulness-based tools to handle difficult thoughts and feelings, and make us of acceptance, and values-based actions to create change.
Context-Aware & Relational Stance
While "Trauma-Informed" is a popular term in psychology today, I join in with a many who don't want to take the term for granted. I recognize that difficult experiences are a regular part of being human and they certainly influence our conversations, but I don't think they have to be a "Master Narrative," continuing to influence your life.
I’m interested in your history and how it impacts you today, but I’m even more interested in your resistance, your protests, and the life you are building now. My hope is to provide a space safety is a priority, and where your history is respected, but not used to label or limit who you are.
Collaborative Spaces for English Speakers in Japan Resisting Complex Life Pressures
Who do I work with?:
I am available to collaborate with individuals navigating cross-cultural life, including new or long-term expats, corporate expats, international students, and Japanese returnees.