A note from Erica:

People often enter therapy feeling like there is something wrong with them. Consumed by anger and anxiety, sadness and self-doubt—they see this as somehow being their fault. But that’s a lot of blame to take on; the stress of daily living can be hard enough!

I view our challenges differently―not as moral failings or personal deficiencies but as indicators of areas in which we need support. I believe our thoughts and behaviors are co-created by our relationships and material circumstances, the institutions that we move through, and the social norms that govern our behavior. I try to impart this perspective to my clients by identifying the ways that symptoms are often reactions to our environments. I find it helps them to take the blame off of themselves and understand how root causes of suffering often lie beyond their control.

A good example of this is a person who has had a difficult childhood and experienced discrimination throughout their lives eventually developing low self-esteem, intense anger, anxiety, depression, or drug dependency. This person is then labeled by their parents, teachers, and community members as "defiant," "lazy," or "crazy," which only exacerbates their symptoms, making it harder for them to cope with the original trauma. My practice is aimed at searching beyond these stigmatizing labels to pinpoint the causes of symptoms, halt the cycle of invalidation and punishment, and help clients cope with the present. We do a lot of exploring in the therapy room, and I approach this with an attitude of compassion, curiosity and humility. My experience has shown that by doing this, the process of mind, body, and spiritual liberatory healing is permitted to take form. 

As a radical social worker, I work towards an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and anti-heteronormative framework. I am a queer, LGBTQIA+-competent, sex-positive therapist. My approach is eclectic and trauma-informed, drawing on principles of relational and psychodynamic therapies, CBT/DBT, mindfulness, IFS, education, and The Gottman Method for use with couples. I have an in-depth knowledge of twelve-step cultures to treat substance misuse and other addictions, and help clients overcome old patterns of people-pleasing and codependency to achieve more satisfying relationships. In the past I have provided crisis counseling for survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse, from which I earned a certificate as a Rape Crisis Counselor. I also welcome clients questioning their identities or exploring pleasure, those engaging in polyamory, kink, and/or BDSM, and survivors of any form of violence.

I believe that all people deserve to live free and pleasurable lives. My goal is to create a space of non-judgement where together we can do the work to help you achieve whatever contentment looks like for you. Whether you need help navigating a current crisis or confronting an unwanted pattern of thinking or acting, or you’re just curious to dig deep into the past to discover what motivates you in the present, I am here to serve as a co-investigator. Together we will work to identify your many innate strengths and create a plan for achieving your goals. My philosophy is that my work is to act in collaboration with you, empowering you as you empower yourself.