The Art and Science of Transformation
A Whole-Person Approach to Psychotherapy
I don't believe therapy should tell you who to become. I believe it should help you reveal who you are.
My approach begins with respecting your individual worldview and taking the time to understand what matters to you. I don't believe there is one way to heal, because no two people experience the world in exactly the same way. One of my goals is to help you develop a deeper connection with your own intuition and a stronger sense of trust in yourself. I believe you hold important knowledge about your own experiences, needs, and values. Sometimes that inner knowing comes as a quiet whisper. Other times, it feels more like a roar. Together, we can explore what those feelings mean, understand the experiences that have shaped you, and develop greater confidence in your ability to make choices that reflect who you are and what you need.
Where Psychotherapy
Meets the Sacred
At Alchemy Transforms, the sacred is not defined by any particular religion or spiritual tradition. It refers to the deeply meaningful dimensions of human experience—the beliefs, symbols, relationships, and inner experiences that shape how we understand ourselves and the world. My approach brings clinically grounded psychotherapy into conversation with these dimensions, honoring each client's individual beliefs and worldview.
Prima Materia:
Where Transformation Begins
The starting point for transformation is not who you think you should be. It is who you are, and everything that has shaped you. We start from right here. We begin from right now.
Alchemy is an ancient philosophical, spiritual, and experimental tradition concerned with transformation and the discovery of hidden potential. One of its central concepts is prima materia, meaning "first matter." In alchemy, it represents the original material from which transformation begins. I see a meaningful parallel between this concept and the work of psychotherapy. Your experiences, relationships, memories, emotions, beliefs, struggles, and strengths all form part of your personal prima materia. Some of these experiences may be painful or difficult to understand. Others may reflect strengths and possibilities you have not yet fully recognized. Rather than seeing these parts of yourself as things that need to be corrected or erased, we can begin by exploring them with curiosity, compassion, and understanding. The experiences we bring into therapy, even those that feel confusing, painful, or disconnected, may become the very material from which greater awareness and meaningful change can emerge.
The Process of Change: Transmutation and Integration
Transformation is not about becoming worthy. You already are.
In alchemy, transmutation describes the transformation of one substance into another. In psychotherapy, I use this concept as a metaphor for meaningful personal change. Healing can involve more than identifying symptoms and finding ways to relieve them. It may also involve examining the experiences that have shaped us, recognizing patterns that no longer serve us, and discovering new ways of understanding ourselves. As awareness grows, new possibilities may emerge. You may begin to see yourself differently, respond to difficult situations in healthier ways, or reconnect with parts of yourself that have been overlooked or pushed aside. An important part of this process is integration, which means bringing different parts of your experiences into a more connected understanding of yourself. The goal is not to erase your past or turn you into someone else. It is to help you develop a more compassionate and complete understanding of who you are.
The Therapeutic Relationship: Where Healing Takes Root
I believe that one of the most important parts of psychotherapy is the relationship we build together. Healing often requires us to explore experiences, emotions, and beliefs that may be difficult to share. That work deserves an environment built on trust, respect, compassion, and genuine understanding. My role is not to position myself as the expert on your life. I bring my professional education, clinical experience, and therapeutic skills, while you bring something equally important: your knowledge of yourself and your lived experience. Together, we develop a path that reflects your needs, values, and goals. I want therapy to be a place where you feel heard, where your experiences are taken seriously, and where you have the freedom to explore who you are without fear of judgment.
Transpersonal and Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy
You shouldn't have to choose between your mental health and your spiritual identity.
I believe that our spiritual beliefs, values, and experiences can be meaningful parts of how we understand ourselves and find purpose in life. Transpersonal psychotherapy makes room to explore these dimensions of the human experience alongside our thoughts, emotions, relationships, and personal histories. For some people, spirituality is central to their identity. For others, it may be something they are questioning, exploring, or moving away from. Some people do not identify as spiritual at all. All of these experiences deserve respect.
My approach recognizes that psychological well-being is influenced by the connections between our physical, emotional, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual lives. I also consider the environments we inhabit, the expectations placed upon us, and the ways we experience and navigate the world around us. My role is not to tell you what to believe. It is to create a space where you can explore what matters to you and how it relates to your well-being. Spiritual exploration is never a requirement of therapy. It is simply one of the many dimensions of your life that we may explore when it is meaningful to you and relevant to your goals.
My work is grounded in professional clinical training and specialized approaches to trauma, grief, and emotional healing. I draw upon different therapeutic methods with intention based on your individual needs, experiences, preferences, and treatment goals.
My Therapeutic Methods
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EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach that helps people process traumatic memories and other distressing experiences. These experiences can continue to influence how we think, feel, respond to situations, and understand ourselves long after they have occurred. EMDR can help reduce the distress associated with these memories and support healthier ways of responding to life. Learn more about EMDR from EMDRIA
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The Flash Technique is a trauma-focused EMDR-derived approach designed to help reduce the distress associated with difficult memories, often without requiring clients to describe those experiences in detail. It may be incorporated into a broader treatment plan when appropriate.
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ASSYST is a structured EMDR-derived approach intended to help people manage distress following recent traumatic or overwhelming experiences. It focuses on emotional stabilization and reducing the immediate impact of distressing experiences.
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IADC is a specialized, EMDR-derived approach developed for individuals experiencing grief following the death of someone important to them. Through guided therapeutic procedures, some individuals report experiences that feel like a meaningful connection with the person who died. These experiences may offer comfort or a new perspective on grief. IADC does not require a particular spiritual belief, and individual experiences and outcomes vary. Research into IADC is still developing. Life with Ghosts: The Science of After Death Contact Movie Short
https://www.lifewithghosts.com/freeshort
IADC in the News
Read Go Ahead and Laugh at Mediums. They May Be On to Something — The New York Times, September 2026
Esoteric and Symbolic Practices in Psychotherapy
Your spiritual path is your own. My role is to honor that path while providing intentional, responsible, individualized psychotherapy.
Your Journey, Your Transformation
For clients who find meaning in spiritual or symbolic traditions, I also offer opportunities to explore practices such as tarot, astrology, pendulum work, and other symbolic systems within the therapeutic relationship. These practices can offer different ways to reflect on personal experiences, explore beliefs, recognize patterns, and consider new perspectives. For example, tarot imagery may provide a starting point for discussing emotions or experiences that are difficult to put into words. Astrology may offer a symbolic framework for reflecting on identity, relationships, and personal meaning. I approach these practices as tools for reflection and exploration, not as methods for diagnosing mental health conditions, establishing objective truths, or predicting clinical outcomes. Their inclusion is always guided by your interests, preferences, therapeutic goals, and informed consent. They are intended to complement, rather than replace, established clinical interventions. You never need to share my spiritual beliefs or participate in these practices to work with me.
Your Journey, Your Transformation
I believe that meaningful healing begins when we are given the opportunity to understand ourselves more fully, including the experiences we carry, the beliefs that shape us, purpose, and the possibilities we have yet to discover. You do not need to have everything figured out before beginning therapy.
You do not need to know exactly where your path will lead. You only need a place to begin. Let's discover it together.