Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Sensitive Musician?
I am, and you are! The Sensitive Musician is an archetype meant to represent a broad range of people (not just musicians) who might resonate with my work. Learn more here.
What do you mean by "psychospiritual"?
I aim to support people on creative and spiritual paths in their psychological and spiritual wellbeing, which I believe are essentially intertwined. This support may be in the form of group conversations and exercises, individual coaching sessions, and even just linking people with friends or resources to support them.
In "psychospiritual" work with clients I offer tools, perspectives, and a supportive environment grounded in empirical psychology and psychotherapeutic techniques as well as in the more mysterious and essential realm of intuition and faith. I use these tools to support people's authentic process and spirituality, and not to impose or indoctrinate clients with any particular paradigm or practice of faith.
The term "psychospiritual" is frequently used to described the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy and coaching. IFS or "parts work" deals directly with emotions and thought patterns while relying on a spiritual foundation in the "Core Self," or the soul's natural connection with the divine. This "Self," life force, spiritual flow, or divine energy provides every person with an internal fount of inspiration, creativity, compassion, healing, and courage. My work draws upon and extends beyond the IFS modality to support and encourage clients as best I can.
Are you a therapist, a coach, or what?
In this work I am primarily concerned with helping people with angelic vocations (so to speak) to find ease on their spiritual journey. While I am trained as a psychotherapist as well as a coach, the work I am currently focused on offering is best defined as psychospiritual or therapeutic coaching -- i.e. coaching that integrates techniques and principles from psychotherapeutic and spiritual paradigms.
In general, psychotherapy is intended to treat a mental disorder, whereas coaching is focused on helping clients to achieve personal or professional goals. I currently choose to offer coaching because I am not working within a healthcare or insurance system, and my services are not focused on treating mental disorders. My work is focused on helping people (with or without mental diagnoses) to live out their faith and vocations more deeply. There are many people who do not meet the criteria for a DSM diagnosis, who can greatly benefit from psychotherapeutic techniques, for themselves and their relationships. Depending on your situation and symptoms, I might ask that you work with a therapist before and/or concurrently to doing coaching with me. If you would like more info or clarification about this, please feel free to reach out.
NOTE: If your mental health is really suffering, or you believe your symptoms might indicate a mental diagnosis, I urge you to seek help from a therapist or talk to another trusted health professional about options. And if you're in danger, you should seek help from a hospital or a professional who can help you. Things will get better -- change is inevitable. If you're in danger and not sure what to do, call 911 or your local emergency services, explain your situation to a trusted adult; or, if applicable, call a suicide hotline.
What if I'm not religious and not an artist? Can I still work with you?
Of course! These are labels that many of the people I work with do not identify with; my own spiritual and artistic journey is a complex one that doesn't fit neatly into such categories either. There are so many verbal and nonverbal ways to understand and participate in art and faith. If you resonate with what I've shared on this site and feel you might benefit from working with me, I encourage you to contact me.
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I am committed to respectful neutrality in my work, and to not pushing any ideological agenda on my clients. I do find that exercising faith in some source of goodness beyond your understanding tends to make this work more powerful. But you might call it God, flow, intuition, love, life itself, etc. I love to support people in cultivating and living out whatever faith is authentic to them (perhaps because I am most deeply grateful to the people in my life who have helped me with mine).
What is a typical session like?
The structure and content of sessions depends on your needs of the moment. I generally aim to maintain focus on your goals, which can take many different forms. One day it might mean reflecting, brainstorming, and mind-mapping around a career goal. Another day it might mean slowly pondering an emotion or an idea, processing and releasing emotions and negative beliefs from a traumatic memory, or gently building a relationship with a neglected inner-child aspect of yourself.
I will often have various ideas for how to help you, but you will choose which approaches you prefer, or suggest new ones of your own. Click here to learn a bit more about some of the techniques I use and resonate with most.
Do you take insurance? What if I can't afford your rates?
I don't currently work with insurance panels, so sessions must be paid for out-of-pocket. I do offer some scholarships subsidizing reduced-fee sessions, and I am preparing to offer group sessions for a small fee. So if my regular rate is a barrier for you, I encourage you to contact me for more information about those options, or schedule a free exploratory session to get a better idea of my style and whether you'd like to pursue further sessions with me.
What is a typical schedule of coaching?
I typically hold hour-long sessions once a week. Some people choose to work briefly on a specific goal, while others choose to embark on a longer journey of inner healing, soul-searching, relationship-building, reprogramming limiting psychological patterns, or exploring new philosophies or ways of living. While it is easier to ensure a meeting time if we set up a recurring weekly session, some people choose to schedule sessions week-to-week or less frequently. I am happy to meet at whatever frequency is best for you, schedules permitting.
I or others I know have been judged or mistreated by practitioners in the past because of my personal background, ethnic or sexual identity, sexual orientation, political opinions, vulnerability, or some other aspect of who I am. How can I trust that you will create a safe space for me?
Every person's safety -- physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual -- is of utmost importance to me, and I aim to learn and respect each client's unique needs and safety concerns. My personal and professional experiences have given me skills to help create a loving, neutral, and non-judgmental environment. But there is always more to learn, and everyone has their unique needs and boundaries, so I encourage you to tell me about yours, and of course to let me know if I ever offend you or make you feel uncomfortable. I strive to stay humble and receptive to your feedback.
Who made the art on your website?
The angel illustrations are by the artist Komleva. The art on this page is by Weda Gintung Sentousa. The heart painting is by Benjavisa Ruangvaree. The Tree of Life painting is by Guido Vermeulen-Perdaen. The painting of a gigantic book is Nicholas Roerich's "Book of Doves,"1922; the night sky image (on the Welcome page) is by Twilight Sparkle; the airplane sky view is by Yellow Stocking. The drawing of a bear serving tea is by Topolyushka. The illustration of a tent is by Nadia Snopek. The photos I took myself, except the headshot, which was taken by Erik-Peter Mortensen. The score on the homepage is a Walther manuscript of J.S. Bach's "An Wasserflüssen Babylon" chorale prelude. The logo image, Arabic calligraphy of one of the 99 names of God, "Al Hayy," or "The Living," was created by Sara Mohammad, as was the image of the open window and corresponding quote.
