(she/her)
New to Grow
I am an independently licensed therapist out of Minnesota, I have been working as a therapist since 2022. Before coming to Grow Therapy, I worked at an Autism focused clinic and I absolutely LOVED the experience. While working there, I was able to utilize numerous resources and expertise to build my knowledge and understanding of clients who have dynamic needs of medical, educational, occupational, interpersonal understanding, regulation, social and family relationships. From this experience I was able to see Autism, and ADHD are often rhythm's I can match and have developed extensive knowledge, awareness of how these disorders can look over a lifespan, cultural factors, and personal coping mechanisms good or bad, which can impact different areas of life. My clinical background in general is not limited to the diagnoses above, I am open to working with a variety of diagnoses anxiety, depression, etc. My clinical skills show strengths in areas of supporting others work through interpersonal conflict, life adjustment, developing resiliency, navigating intense emotions, and develop personal understanding. Educating and supporting others through the process of understanding how to best support themselves with the tools we have, this is often a guiding component to how I support. I try to make therapy engaging and interactive for each individual to support effectiveness of therapy.
Our first session is meant to be laid back, I will review materials you've submitted prior to our first session and maybe draw up some questions or ideas. I value clients' time and understand the emotional battery it takes to show up and I will do my best to make sure you feel valued, empowered, and welcomed when we meet. We'll often start with questions around "What are you hoping to get out of therapy? Or hoping to change? to maintain?" "What would be most helpful for you at this time today?" If these questions feel hard to answer, that is OKAY! We can find our own starting point, and if what you can do is show up, perfect! If starting specifically with goals is challenging we would take a step back look at what helps you understand and process. I fully understand and respect everyone is a different type of learner, and concepts of therapy can be rather abstract at times. When provided with the right tools within therapy it can be greatly impactful to the effectiveness of the time outside of therapy. How I try to understand this about some is often discussing interests and how someone chooses to spend their time. Or how were you as a student? Is it hard to sit and attend to someone speaking for long periods of time? If so? Let's try something different. We also make a plan for a next session as well, expectations for you as client, and myself. My tasks often involve sending or finding a resource, or find new information. Tasks for the client, something to try before the next session, and we write it down! I will do my best to follow up in the next session of progress of the task. If we need to adapt the what we've tried or address impacting factors.
Being a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker has instilled values of client centered, empowerment and advocacy to the foundation of my approach to clinical work. I am not a social worker by trade but I was educated with the lens and ethics of a social worker (https://naswmn.socialworkers.org/Professional-Development/Professional-Resources/Code-of-Ethics). Following this education path supported a foundation of client-advocacy, holistic, strengths-based approach in my clinical work. My path to becoming a therapist was not a linear path. Before coming a therapist, I spent 10+ years working in fields of child development, and direct care provider. I found myself wanting to develop my personal understanding into a professional education to support others to create positive change in their own lives. Through this work, I learned the value of creating connection with people, understanding connection is needed to develop trust, and willingness to try things differently. I treat each person as an individual, a unique human with their own story, and future. People allowing me into their own world is a meaningful relationship and I find true joy in developing our "working" relationship, we are in the business of improving mental health. I've been told conversations feel organic, authentic, and genuine. It's been endorsed, I'm a pretty easy person to talk to. Part of my process, I find it key to establish a person's learning style, to support the effectiveness of therapy. I know for myself, I am a visual learner, and because we do meet over telehealth I have developed my teletherapy tools . I often use the whiteboard tool to draw out concepts, doc cam for handouts, a visual with typing to help track the flow of conversation/keep on task. If someone has a different preference, there are always options. My main goal is to make sure the client I am working with is empowered to advocate for their needs, and able to share authentically. In therapy, we focus a lot around problem-solving, and each time authentic conversations can happen the better we can problem solve to create change in a way which feels genuine. What I will bring to therapy as your therapist: Educated professional: I've continued to develop as a professional, and consider it my ethical duty to be informed and educated on the challenges and supports I provide from scholarly vetted resources. If you provide a question I can't confidently answer I will let you know, and return the next session with a new understanding. Session Structure: We will often have some established topics we check in weekly about, I might follow up on something to be worked on from the previous week. I will lead the conversation based on the what you would like to address, often establishing a routine around the beginning, middle, and end routine of our session. There are often clinical requirements I may need to complete during session to maintain ethics of safety and fulfill insurance requirements. Content of the Session: Therapy session will often involve check-in about frustrations and celebrations. Discuss abstract ideas around relationships, personal perspectives, social situations, future plans, and past experiences. We can use drawing to support processing. I use what you know as a client to maybe help our understanding when working together. I've used understandings of video games, movies, music, sports, and cars to be a resource to support client's understanding. I will bring a compassionate lens, while also holding a client accountable in support of the client's goals. We address the challenge without judgement, focus on decrease risk, and increase supportive actions. If we've made the plan and it's feeling hard, we work through that itself, we adapt the process, we use the information to learn and understand how to create change in an authentic way to the client. We find comfort, humor, practice self-compassion.
From my current professional experience, I have found populations who may identify as neurodiverse, struggle to connect socially or in superficial engagements. I have shown abilities in areas of supporting individuals with processing life transitions changes at work, at home, personal life, or bumps in their journey. I take on the role of being a person who you know is in your corner and can be a safe person who provides a safe place to support as needed. Finding the right therapist can feel like trying to find the right shoe and if we find we are not a good fit with one another, I am always open to supporting clients find the right fit to support their ongoing mental health needs. Supporting client's reach their goals is a top priority, and I can be adaptable to support efficacy of client's treatment.
Top specialties
ADHD
Autism
Life Transitions
Other specialties
Anxiety
Child or Adolescent
Depression
I identify as
Asian / Asian American
LGBTQ
Person of Color (POC)
White
Woman
Adults (18 to 64)
Children (6 to 12)
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Minnesota
Strength-Based
I utilize a strength-based approach to focus on client's current strengths and abilities to support ongoing and future empowerment in their own lives.
Psychoeducation
Knowledge is power, and misinformation has spread into social media. I utilize data and resources from certified sources to support client's understanding. I am a teacher by second nature and have a variety of adaptive ways to educate others and meet individual's learning needs.
Compassion Focused
I understand the experience of meeting with a "stranger" even though mental health professional can be an overwhelming experience. I focus on creating a genuine, authentic environment within therapy. Prioritizing the understanding of each person as an individual has been key to authentic back and forth engagement. I look forward to getting to knowing you!
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
My personal background is unique and dynamic, and influential to the person I am. And I take the saying "never judge a book by its cover" to heart to give people the space to be who they are within session. This is of course within limits of my duties as a mandated reporter and reporting for the safety of children/minors, and vulnerable adults.
Play Therapy
Play creates safety within brains, and when a sense of safety is created, a brain's ability to be open to new information is increased. Play with children via telehealth can look like reading books, drawing, playing with toys, playing games online, and utilizing activities to create a buffer in the development of sharing. And adults have their own version, activities will be in the realm of creative expression to support the processing of emotions, such as art activities, dance, music, etc.