Philosophical Approach

I integrate gestalt, existential, and integral counseling theories into an Eastern philosophical framework grounded in Advaita Vedanta (Non-duality) and Buddhist approaches. My primary goals as a counseling professional involve helping clients deepen their self-awareness, their equanimity, and their authenticity to move away from fear and out of cycles that continue their suffering. I find this is easier when an Eastern spiritual/philosophical approach is integrated into the work because it helps provide greater context for the “why” and the “how” of the cessation of suffering. For example, gestalt therapy emphasizes the here-and-now experience and focuses on work in the present moment to help clients recognize their immediate feelings, thoughts, actions, and defense mechanisms and how these lead to suffering. Helping the client to become aware of internal patterns and unresolved emotions helps them take responsibility and make more informed choices.

Additionally, existential therapy helps clients recognize that living in the world means having anxiety — about how to live, how to be, what to do — constantly faced with the givens of existence, such as meaning, freedom, choice, responsibility, and the finality of death. I help clients explore the things about their humanity that are often overlooked for the more practical to facilitate healing and the alleviation of suffering.

Finally, integral or transpersonal counseling helps bridge the world of psychology and spirituality, making space for an expanded or transcendent self to exist within a psychological world — and to normalize this so that clients can feel safe to bring their spiritual selves to the psychological world.

I want the whole client in my office, not just their mind or their emotions — but their spiritual self, their transcendent self — their whole being is safe here.

My philosophical background mainly hinges on Advaita Vedanta (non-duality) philosophy. Advaita Vedanta is an ancient Vedic (Indian) philosophical approach rooted in the Upanishads that emphasizes the concept of non-duality, where the individual soul (Atman) is ultimately identical to the universal consciousness (Brahman). The goal of this practice is to gain self-realization (awareness of the illusoriness of the separate self) — and the cessation of suffering. I apply this philosophical model to counseling to help clients explore the illusion of separateness and discover their inherent interconnectedness with others and all of existence. I also draw from Buddhist philosophy to help clients explore impermanence and embrace flexibility to adapt to the flow of life through mindful acceptance and equanimity. Many of these practices are facilitated through deep therapeutic processing during sessions and self-inquiry practices done through meditation and contemplation between sessions.

Finally, my work also emphasizes presence and compassion. Drawing from interpersonal neurobiology and frontiers in neurocounseling, we are getting better at understanding the energetic field between client and counselor and how a mindful, grounded, and present counselor can foster attunement with their client — leading to co-regulation. The counselor becomes the neuro-architect for the client, helping them to feel safe, guiding their ability to self-regulate, and assisting in trauma recovery.