A Message from the Founder
The idea for Innovative Group Psychotherapy (IGP) grew out of some of the earliest experiences in my career as a psychologist. While completing my doctoral training, I worked as a foster family social worker, supporting children and teens who had experienced trauma, family separation, and profound loss.
Many of the young people I worked with had lost not only their families, but also the hope that they would ever feel safe, loved, or understood. I approached the work with enthusiasm and the hope of becoming a dependable adult in their lives—someone they could trust.
What I quickly discovered, however, was that trust cannot always be built through traditional talk therapy alone. Many of these youth had learned to protect themselves by keeping people at a distance. Sitting across from a therapist and being asked to talk about their feelings simply wasn’t enough.
So I began trying something different.
Instead of expecting them to enter the therapy room ready to talk, I started entering their world. We painted murals, shot basketball hoops, made pancake breakfasts, decorated cupcakes, created photo albums, and discussed music and journal entries together.
And something remarkable began to happen.
They started to talk.
Through creative activities and shared experiences, the young people who were once guarded and resistant began opening up. Conversations that started around art, music, or everyday life gradually led to deeper discussions about trauma, grief, family, and identity.
Those early experiences shaped the foundation of my therapeutic approach and ultimately led to the creation of Innovative Group Psychotherapy in 2019.
An Integrative Approach to Therapy
At Innovative Group Psychotherapy, our work integrates several evidence-based therapeutic approaches to support healing and emotional growth:
Psychodynamic therapy to explore how early experiences shape emotional patterns, identity, and relationships
Attachment-based therapy to understand how early caregiving relationships influence trust, safety, and connection
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help the brain process traumatic memories and reduce the emotional impact of trauma
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and shift negative thinking patterns while building practical coping and problem-solving skills
Expressive arts therapy to provide creative pathways for emotional expression through art, music, writing, and movement.
This integrative model reflects what research and neuroscience increasingly confirm: healing from trauma involves both the mind and the body. Combining insight-oriented therapy with practical skill-building and creative expression allows clients to process difficult experiences while also developing tools for resilience and emotional regulation.
Our Mission
Innovative Group Psychotherapy was founded with the mission of providing compassionate, research-informed therapy for children, teens, adults, and families. Our goal is to create a space where clients feel understood, empowered, and supported as they work through trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and life transitions.
I continue to believe what those early experiences taught me: when people feel safe, connected, and truly seen, meaningful healing becomes possible.
It is an honor to do this work and to walk alongside our clients as they move toward greater resilience, confidence, and emotional well-being.
