Why Tempest?

“Tempest” means a violent storm. I know — not exactly what most people expect from a counseling practice. When I told my mom the name, she immediately asked, “Why would you want that?” But to me, it made perfect sense.

Many of us go through our lives with a raging, uncomfortable storm inside of us. We spend enormous amounts of energy attempting to quell this chaotic mess — trying out every possible solution to fix it. Therapy is often one such solution. People enter wanting to be finally be cured, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way because often the very thing we are trying to fix is the same thing that makes life worth living.

At Tempest Counseling, the goal isn’t to silence or fix you because you’re not broken. You’re a person who’s been trying to survive — sometimes for a very long time. Together, we turn toward the storm with compassion and curiosity. We build your capacity to feel, to stay with yourself, to find meaning even in the mess. Because underneath the tempest is something sacred: your story, your strength, your voice, your aliveness.

This isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming more you. And you don’t have to do it alone.

The Tempest Approach

Since no two clients are alike, I take an eclectic approach the dynamically blends together a few different theories. In my opinion, this maximizes my ability to remain spontaneous, authentic, and flexible to meet my clients needs as they come up. I’ve listed a few of the main modalities I regularly utilize as a therapist. Depending on your preference and needs, we may use all, some, or few of these in our work together!

  • Healing happens in connection, not isolation. RCT focuses on the ways relationships shape our self-worth, identity, and emotional well-being. In therapy, we’ll build an authentic, supportive relationship that helps reduce shame and strengthen your sense of belonging.

  • Narrative therapy helps you explore and re-author the stories that have shaped your identity, especially those rooted in pain or shame. Together, we’ll make space for new, empowering narratives that align with who you really are.

  • We all interpret the world through stories shaped by culture, upbringing, and experience. Constructive therapy invites you to examine those beliefs and rebuild them in a way that better supports your healing. It’s about finding new meaning that feels true and life-giving.

  • Existential therapy helps you explore the deeper questions of life—like purpose, identity, freedom, and mortality. Instead of offering quick fixes, we’ll reflect on what truly matters to you and what it means to live an authentic life.

  • Everyone gets a little crew of parts like inside out! IFS views the mind as made up of many parts—each with its own voice, emotion, or role. We’ll approach each of them with compassion, helping you develop a deeper sense of self-trust, balance, and internal harmony.

    *Please note I am not officially certified as an IFS therapist.

  • Our bodies can hold emotions or sensations that leave us feeling unsafe and disconnected. In therapy, we will work with reconnecting to the body in safe, controllable ways to revitalize your felt sense and bring you closer to yourself.

  • ACT supports you in making space for difficult emotions while committing to a life rooted in your values. Instead of trying to control or avoid your inner world, we’ll build acceptance, flexibility, and mindful action. It’s about living with intention, even when things feel hard.

“I need the sea because it teaches me.
I don’t know if I learn music or awareness,
if it’s a single wave or its vast existence,
or only its harsh voice or its shining
suggestion of fishes and ships.
The fact is that until I fall asleep,
in some magnetic way I move in
the university of the waves.”

-Pablo Neruda, The Sea