Experiential psychotherapy places less emphasis on talking about life events in a purely narrative way and greater emphasis on what is happening in the present moment of the session. Rather than only describing experiences from the past, clients are invited to notice what they are feeling, sensing, and thinking as those experiences arise in real time in the presence of the therapist. This focus on present-moment awareness allows deeper emotional and relational patterns to become visible and available for change.​
Experiential work focuses on engaging experience directly as it emerges. Clients may notice emotions, body sensations, images, memories, or inner parts as they arise. By slowing down and paying careful attention to these experiences, we can begin to understand the patterns that shape reactions, relationships, and self-perception. I draw from several experiential approaches, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Hakomi, Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Focusing.
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Sessions typically involve slowing the pace, turning attention inward, and exploring experience together as it unfolds. As deeper emotional material becomes accessible, we can work with it in ways that allow old patterns to shift and new experiences to take root. Experiential therapy tends to work especially well for individuals who appreciate spaciousness, collaboration, and curiosity in therapy, and for those who feel that insight alone or traditional talk therapy has not fully led to the changes they are seeking.