Therapeutic Philosophy of Pat Dallacroce

Therapeutic Style and Philosophy

In order for therapy to work, you must allow yourself to be vulnerable in a deep way and to express your most distressing feelings and thoughts. In order to do that, you must feel safe. You must be able to trust your therapist and feel understood, accepted, and cared about. The relationship with your therapist should be safe enough that you can be your authentic self, your self at its best and at its worst, without feeling judged.

"Being safe is about being seen and heard and allowed to be who you are and to speak your truth."
— Rachel Naomi Remen

My style as a therapist is nonjudgmental, collaborative, and authentic.

I respect the ways in which your body, mind, and spirit may have adapted to survive and cope with difficult circumstances in the past. All my work--with individuals, couples, and families--is grounded in research in interpersonal neurobiology and attachment theory.

I use therapy methods which are grounded in that research: Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Hakomi and mindfulness. In addition, my clinical work is also informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) when working with couples, and by Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) and Attachment-based Family Therapy (ABFT) when working with families. My experience as a lawyer, artist, parent and partner informs my work as a therapist, as well.

I work by encouraging curiosity and mindfulness about the things that disturb you and bring you into therapy. Together, we safely explore any habitual responses to triggers or memories. I pace treatment so as to allow your nervous system to regulate, and ensure that you feel safe and understood while we explore your experience. I use my determination and persistence in a gentle way to help you accomplish your goals.

"In times of pain, when the future is too terrifying to contemplate and the past too painful to remember, I have learned to pay attention to right now. . . . Each moment, taken alone, [is] always bearable. In the exact now, we are all, always, all right."
— Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

"Play is the exultation of the possible."
— Martin Buber