areas of expertise | peifer-psychology

01. Trauma

I specialize in work with clients who have experienced traumatic events - particularly sexual traumas and intimate partner violence. I work to help clients build upon their internal resilience and strengths to manage the winding, complex process of life after trauma.

sexual assault - intimate partner violence - child abuse history - post-traumatic stress disorder

02. Identity + Culture

I believe that every client exits in a world informed by their experience and history. I take a culturally-informed approach to my work that celebrates each individual's sense of self. I also work with young people navigating the process of emerging adulthood.

young adults - quarter life crisis

college transition/adjustment - work + identity-related stress

03. Couples + Families

I help families and couples navigate the complexities of significant life transitions and the daily experience of existing in close relationship. I help romantic partners and families of all types as they manage challenges and move towards more adaptive lives---together.

preconception counseling - pre-birth couples therapy - postpartum relationships - family stress

Overall Approach

While these are my three major areas of expertise, I enjoy working with clients from adolescence through adulthood. I strive to create a warm, creative therapy space that helps folks cope with the challenge and beauty of pursuing a life worth living in a targeted, solutions-focused way.

stress/anxiety - post-partum mental health - depression - coping skills - adjustment

All of my therapeutic work is rooted in evidenced-based practices. As a clinician and a researcher, I stay up to date with the most effective techniques to help clients meet their goals.

What do you mean when you say that you have an evidence-based therapy practice?

In therapy, I implement standards informed by rigorous research. I use techniques that have been shown to yield more positive outcomes for clients, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. As a clinician and a researcher I stay up to date with the most effective techniques to help clients meet their goals. I take a flexible, responsive approach that eschews rigidity and shifts with clients as their needs change and evolve.

How do I practice inclusive therapy?

I strive to appreciate the nuances of diversity within and across clients. I work in a conscientious way with people have experienced stress, discrimination, and trauma related to their cultural, racial/ethnic, gender, sexual, and or religious identity. Rather than view multicultural issues as a isolated consideration, I aim to integrate the client’s intersecting identities and experiences throughout all of our work together in an individualized, tailored way. I believe it is impossible to work with a client without acknowledging and honoring their complexity. While I know that I can never fully understand every facet of diversity that comprise my clients’ experience, I make efforts to humble myself, question assumptions, and acknowledge the limitations of my own cultural lens.

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CBT Image courtesy of Amanda Jelden, LCSW