These aren't words we put on a website and forget about. They're what guide us in the room with you and woven into every session — how we listen, what we notice, and what we choose not to do.
You'll see them show up in small ways: in how we talk about your experiences instead of your symptoms, in how we follow your lead in where we go in therapy, in how we treat your mind, body, and spirit– as one system, instead of separate problems to solve.
Here's what that looks like, in practice.
Our Values
Anti-Oppression & Belonging
You may have been harmed by the very systems meant to help you. Western mental health practices, including much of how diagnosis works, weren't built with your experience in mind — especially if you're a person of color, LGBTQ+, or living on the margins in other ways.
We don't ask you to leave that history at the door. Racism, oppression, xenophobia — these shape a person's nervous system, not just their mood. We bring that into the room, because we have to, if we're going to understand what safety and belonging actually mean for you.
This isn't a stance we take once and move on from. It shapes how we practice, session to session, with everyone we see.
Curiosity and Non-Violence
Instead of pathologizing people’s beliefs and behaviors, we approach each moment with curiosity. We are not here to change or fix clients. The client is in the driver’s seat in therapy from our very first session, because they are ultimately in the driver’s seat outside the therapy room in everyday life. We are here to help you become a more effective driver so you can be more at ease on this journey called life.
Self-Determination and Innate Wisdom
We honor a person’s right to figure out for themselves what they want to address in therapy. We don’t believe in the concept of “resistance.” We believe each client knows what they need and are here to support them in finding it. Each person’s path to healing is different, but it is always innate within them, the therapist is there to bear witness and support the person’s inherent ability to heal.
These values are adapted from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, developed by Pat Ogden, Ph.D.
Learn more about Sensorimotor Psychotherapy’s philosophy and principles.
People are complex systems that cannot be separated. Our minds, bodies, and spirits are intricately linked in one system, and the way that each person defines their spirit is unique to them. We work with these three components of the person together, recognizing they are always in relationship with each other and the world around them.