Individual Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
I practice AEDP – a research-supported approach to therapy. AEDP emphasizes co-creating safety and supports people in feeling less alone with experiences that are too much. This therapeutic approach provides a way to move through suffering, but it doesn’t stop there—recognizing that health is not merely the absence of disease, it provides a pathway to flourishing. I practice AEDP because healing happens experientially, not just by thinking new thoughts. Therapy that helps you have new and embodied experiences accelerates the healing process because it takes your new insights and helps you do something with them.
Wilfred Bion once said, “It takes two minds to think one’s most disturbing thoughts.” I agree with him, and I like to add: it also takes two hearts. In other words, we aren’t meant to carry and transmute our heaviest burdens alone. We also aren’t meant to grow and heal without being witnessed and celebrated. I love delighting in the process with you.
What is a typical session like?
In the early sessions, we are finding our groove together.
I’m asking questions about what you want for yourself and what gets in the way.
Research has shown that the single most important thing to good treatment outcomes is having a strong therapeutic relationship. So trust and safety are really important. I’m demonstrating trustworthiness so you can begin to feel safe enough in therapy with me to do the healing you came to do. Trustworthiness includes fundamental stuff like keeping our conversations confidential, and it also means something specific to you: what helps you trust someone? I want to know, and I want to earn your trust.
I’m a really emotionally engaged therapist – no neutral gaze here!
It’s not uncommon for us to laugh and cry together.
As we move into the heart of therapy, you’ll find that I am listening to what you share and I am also paying attention to what is happening as you share. This means that I might slow us down so we can really feel something together.
Emotions have physical signatures, so we might see if you can find sensations in your body. Maybe that spot might like some breath or the gentle pressure of your hand. Maybe it might have something it wants to say.
Sometimes when we slow down, we find that the emotions coming up in the current story are connected with something from the past or that there is a part of you reacting to what is happening that needs some special attention. I help you connect with this part so we can learn more about what it needs.
We use the imagination to activate neural networks that hold memories that trouble you so we can support a new experience for your nervous system.
We use humor.
We use empathy.
We keep it real.
What results can you expect?
At the heart of AEDP is dropping in to a state that “feels like the real me.”
We are meant to feel a whole range of emotions—sadness, joy, fear, anger, excitement, …and when we are in a place of deep, authentic connection with ourselves we can ride the waves of these emotions and feel a sense of rightness, even when it’s hard. We aren’t meant to get stuck there or to have heavy emotions affect our ability to function in our lives.
As therapy progresses, you’ll find that you are feeling more of a sense of being connected to yourself, being genuine, and feeling a greater sense of vitality, even freedom.
From that sense of connection to your authenticity, you begin to make decisions about what and whom you want to devote energy to (and what/whom you don’t).
This leads to a sense of alignment and integrity that continues to support an expanding sense of vitality.
A study that was done in 2020 showed that people who participated in AEDP for 16 sessions had fewer symptoms and better self-compassion a year after ending treatment.
People who were feeling the worst when they started therapy made the biggest gains. This shows that the healing that happens in AEDP tends to stay with you over time.