I have a clinical background in treating high acuity mental health disorders that include anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance, mood, and personality disorders. I have extensive experience working in foster care agencies, crisis services units, and community behavioral health outpatient clinics. My therapeutic approach is rooted in a humanistic perspective utilizing cognitive and dialectical behavior modalities with an emphasis in mindfulness based stress reduction and holistic wellness. I am eager to work with clients who are self aware and are in need of a therapeutic connection.
In our first session together we will start with soft introductions and identify the reasons and causes as to why you are seeking treatment. We will explore your current level of emotional wellness and the coping skills you possess. We will assess for past and current maladaptive behaviors. We will then collaborate on the treatment goals most suitable for you.
Areas of particular strength and expertise include Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Grief and Loss, Substance Use, Identity and Attachment, and Adolescent Behavior. My strengths as a therapist lay in my capacity for compassion, emotional and intellectual insight, and empathy. In the words of Salvador Minuchin, "what heals our patients is love".
I enjoy working with people from all backgrounds of life. I perceive life to be a symphony of experiences with each melody needing their own attention and care. Patients willing and courageous to examine themselves is hard work but together we offer the opportunity to heal.
Work and experience includes integration of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction using clinical interventions such as grounding, diaphragmatic breathing, somatosensory, and Guided Meditation.
With an integrated approach using cognitive restructuring and reframing that challenges thought processes and outcomes, behavioral activation that considers the relationship between mood, rewards, and motivation, and guided discovery to enable the self exploration and identify self limitations.
Exploring the experience of grief and grieving, the process of mourning, and nurturing the human being towards healthy adaptation.
Examining past experiences, how they influence the present, identifying the function of the unconscious mind, and resolving archetypal conflict.
Accepting the situations and life events outside of one's control and identifying adaptive solutions.