Depth Therapy in Boulder
The patterns beneath the problem.
Most therapy is built to reduce symptoms, and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you need the anxiety to come down so you can function. But many people come to therapy after they've already tried that, and found that the symptoms keep returning in new forms. Depth therapy starts from a different assumption: that what you're struggling with has roots, and that it's often trying to tell you something.
What depth therapy is
Depth therapy is an approach that pays attention to what's happening underneath the surface of your life: the patterns you repeat without choosing to, the parts of yourself you've learned to keep out of sight, the history that still shapes how you love, work, and react. Rather than managing those things, we try to understand them well enough that they lose their grip.
In practice, that means we talk about your actual life in detail, and we also stay alert to what's beneath it. A recurring conflict at work might connect to something much older. A dream might say plainly what you haven't let yourself think. A sudden tightness in your chest while you're talking might be the most honest thing in the room.
Where this comes from
My approach is informed by Jungian psychology and the wider depth tradition, including writers like James Hillman and James Hollis, and by the contemplative and transpersonal training I received at Naropa University. I also draw on somatic awareness and mindfulness, because the psyche and the body aren't separate problems.
I'm not a certified Jungian analyst. My work is informed by Jung and the depth tradition, through my clinical training and years of ongoing study, and I think it's important to be clear about that distinction.
Who it's for
Depth therapy tends to suit people who sense that their difficulty is about more than a single symptom. People in midlife or existential transition. People who have done shorter-term therapy and found it helpful but incomplete. People whose inner life feels vivid, confusing, or neglected. It asks for some patience and some willingness to be surprised by yourself.
Common questions
How is depth therapy different from CBT?
CBT focuses mainly on changing thoughts and behaviors in the present, and it can be very effective for that. Depth therapy spends more time on where those thoughts and behaviors come from and what they mean. Many people find the two complement each other.
Do I need to remember my dreams?
No. Dreams can be useful when they're there, but plenty of good depth work happens without them. We work with whatever your psyche is actually offering.
How long does depth therapy take?
Longer than a few sessions, usually. Many people meet weekly for several months to a year or more. We'll keep checking in about whether the work is useful and where it's heading.
Or reach out with questions: (720) 432-0149