Andy Pfandler (he/him)

Attachment Theory

Attachment underlies much of my work and was a key part of my training. Understanding how our attachment needs change throughout our lives and can be met by different people, at different times, in different capacities, can be deeply rewarding therapeutic work.

Couples Counseling

I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy, psychodynamic techniques, and Gottman principles to help couples and people in relationships improve connection, make future decisions, and learn to communicate more honestly. Relationship therapy can be difficult and having a steady grounded professional to help can be key to improving everyone's lives.

Experiential

In addition to talking about what is happening in your life, in session I work with what you and I are experiencing together in the present moment to build skill and capacity. Instead of analyzing problems we work through them together in the moment. In my work I have seen it shift patterns that therapy hasn't been able to touch in the past. Beyond being effective I center this technique as a way to break down traditional power structures that are baked into therapy.

Emotionally Focused

Certain components of EFT are a big part of my work, but I am not the EFT clinician that moves through all the steps and stages. What I find valuable is the focus on emotions as a means of communication and the clarity with which EFT can help couples understand and alter their patterns.

Family Conflict

Working with family conflict is at the core of my training and my personal experience. Our families bring up behaviors and feelings in ways that other relationships don't, and it can be especially confusing to sort out needs, capacities, and how the past is impacting the present. I've successfully worked with families on addressing harmful dynamics, blending lives, separation, and navigating parenting challenges, and improving relationships between teens and their parents.

Sexual Problems

A peek behind the curtain...I am limited identifying here the sex therapy work I do to coping with negative sexual experiences. This is a huge part of my work but a philosophical problem for me; work on sex should be driven by pleasure. From my work with sexual abuse to people who want more/better orgasms, connection to self and access to our innate capacity to experience pleasure is key. What I can bring here is a safe and compassionate space to talk about something our culture looks away from.

Men's Issues

Focusing on building a better connection to my masculinity and to other male identified people is a huge part of my life and work. As a clinician I've helped male identified people improve relationships, find meaning in work, and build stronger communities. As a sex therapist I am passionate about expanding the routes to pleasure men can access for themselves and their partners.

Relationship / Marriage Issues

We ask a lot of our partnerships and it is easy to get stuck in conflict cycles, harbor resentment, and lose connection, joy and passion. An outside professional can make a world of difference. I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy, psycho-dynamic techniques, and Gottman, to help people have better relationships. I've worked with couples in conflict, navigating sexual mismatch, and separation and divorce.