I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based out of Florida. I received my master's degree from Florida International University and have been practicing in the field for over 10 years. I work to build a trusting relationship with my clients, so they feel safe and understood during our sessions leading to opportunities for self-discovery and a path toward wellness. I support my clients toward goals they feel are important and assist them in making small, but impactful shifts in their lives toward those goals. I am skills based to help my clients have concrete techniques they can use to cope with life's challenges. I help my clients see and use the strengths they already have, shift the way they think about experiences, and move toward a more positive life.
In our first session, I like to have brief introductions and then start to identify areas that you feel you would like to work on. We will work together on a realistic plan to help you reach goals you want to achieve. We will start to build an understanding of how you got to the place you are at in your life, and where you want to go from here.
As a therapist, I pride myself on conveying the utmost respect for my clients and working as a team. Having been in the field for 10 years, I have worked with a large variety of clients with varying issues. I listen intently to my clients and try to understand their perspective in the how they understand their challenges. I work to bring out my clients' strengths so they can begin to build a more positive self-concept and make wanted changes in their lives.
I love working with young adults and adults who are open to learning and self-discovery. They are looking for personal growth and motivated for change. I enjoy working with those who want to work with me and are willing to be collaborative in setting their goals and creating solutions to challenges. I like working with individuals who are open to taking risks to better their lives and are able to trust the therapeutic process.
I have been using CBT for approximately 10 years. I have used this modality to help my clients explore how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected. Working to make a shift in any one of these areas will assist with creating overall change for my clients. By validating my clients' feelings, they feel heard and understood, while also challenging thoughts that might be hindering their progress and keeping them stuck, I am able to help my clients build self-awareness and make lasting change in their lives. Using CBT I work collaboratively with my clients toward their goals for themselves. I assist them in building skills and using techniques to manage their emotions and effectively change their behaviors.
In therapy I work with my clients on how their early attachment experiences have had an impact on their emotions and types of relationships they currently have. I strive to build a strong rapport based on trust, compassion, and empathy to help my clients feel safe and understood. We then work to understand the patterns the client engages in, heal from past traumas, and build healthier ways of engaging in relationships. Using attachment-based therapy, my clients are able to form strong bonds with those they care about and promote emotional healing and growth in the client.
Motivational interviewing is one of my favorite modalities to use with clients. Change is typically difficult for clients and using MI is one avenue to validate the ambiguity that client often comes with the process of change. With MI I am able to help you see how your current behaviors are not in line with your goals as well as to discover what steps, no matter how big or small you are able to take toward those goals. Helping my clients find the motivation to activate change they want to see in themselves is some of the most rewarding work in therapy.
I have used Mindfulness-Based Therapy throughout my practices for many years. I have assisted clients with implementing mindfulness practices into their lives to promote a holistic sense of well-being. During sessions, I will guide you through mindfulness exercises to help you focus on the present moment and gain self-compassion. We practice them first in the session and then I'll encourage you to practice the independently. We work together to see what is effective for you and adapt the techniques to meet your unique needs.