I have been supporting health and wellness in all its forms one day, one moment, one interaction at a time for many years. To that end I have studied many methods that allow me to bring a variety of skills and knowledge to persons I work with. I promote others feeling empowered to use not only what occurs in therapy, but their skills, talents, knowledge, etc., to move forward in every session with a greater sense of empowerment.
In our initial session I will work to understand your issues, needs and where you would like to go with the support of a therapist. I use this time well to not only understand you and your needs, but to develop a sense of hope and purpose for our work together. I also like to get a feel for how you like to learn, what approaches may work best for you.
My biggest strength comes from the knowledge we are all more alike than different. We all want to live the best version of our lives. We want good relationships, to be cared for, valued, respected and to reach our goals in life. To this end I 100% know and understand I am a help along the way, or along this path, however, you made it this far and have much to offer this process and I will seek that and value that along the way.
I have worked with persons struggling with multiple barriers, mental health, physical health and with addiction for many years in the community and private practice. I take a very insight oriented approach, at your pace, to bring you into the position of being the one who is the best informed about your health and wellbeing. I also work to bring you the tools, strategies and information needed to work on your goals and overall health and wellbeing.
Cognitive behavioral therapy provides a good way for many to see and gain control over how thoughts might be impacting their behaviors and decisions in life and how to modify them. It has been proven to be extremely effective is one of the highest evidence-based forms of therapeutic approaches.
For many how we manage our physical health can impact our mental health and overall well-being. This includes rest, self-care, mindfulness, and understanding the mind-body connection more fully
I have studied motivational interviewing extensively as it ensures any approach used to assist you remains client-centered. When we work together I take into account every session your strengths, input, feedback, and what motivates change. Using motivational interviewing keeps us both focused on your motivations to reach your goals and ultimate vision for benefiting from therapy.
For many, the primary persons who helped shape who we are and interact with the world can remain a part of how we manage emotions, and relationships and interact with the world. the decisions we make. Sometimes it's worth slowing down and listening to the tapes we play and automatic processes that drive us to gain mastery over them. And, it helps to understand why we might surround ourselves with the people we do and/or why they seem to find us as well. Many times this is positive, but not always.
I have studied DBT and use many of the tools to assist with the process of gaining mastery and control over how our emotions can drive our behaviors. Remember, emotions themselves are neither positive or negative. DBT also looks at grounding ourselves, interpersonal relationship skills and creating calm out of chaos.