LCSW, 21 years of experience
New to Grow
Hi! I am so happy to meet you! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 21 years of experience in behavioral/mental healthcare field. I graduated from a tiny little college in Pineville, LA-Louisiana College- in Social Work and went on to graduate from LSU-GO TIGERS!- a year later. My passion is to work with people who think they have unsolvable problems and walk alongside them as their problems become smaller and more manageable than first believed. Many of my clients find that in the beginning of therapy they have no idea what can possibly help their situation. I’m not going to lie here, their issues can look really daunting. My promise to them and to every person that I help is that you are not in it alone. I am committed to walk along with you and not leave your side until you have the tools, knowledge, and strength to move forward without me. I promise that I will not quit until you decide the mission is complete.
In our first session you will probably be nervous. It’s hard to tell a stranger on a computer monitor all the stuff that is going wrong. You will probably be a little concerned about how much to share or what to share or even if you want to talk to me. Thats ok. Your session belongs to you and you get to talk about what you want to talk about. I’m not a fan of discussing creatures without fur on their tails, but otherwise it’s all up to you. In our first session I will be curious. Some might say I will be downright nosey. I will ask you questions about what kind of things that you want to talk about as well as some basic history. You will actually have a chance to see a cheat sheet when you enroll and complete your intake forms. Those questions will help me to figure out where to start on our journey and what road to take that will get you to "better". Even though I will be asking a lot of questions, I promise that I will listen to every word you say. Yes, I have questions I need to ask. I believe that it is more important for you to be comfortable and to tell me what you want for me to know than for me to just fill in the blanks on my form. I will be patient with you and I will not judge you for any word that you say. I promise that I will be honest with you in your first session and every single step of the way. Things that will not happen during our first session: I will be in my office with my "3 assistants" who only speak dog. Nothing you say will be heard by any other human. I will not think you are strange. I will not think that your questions or issues are silly or unimportant. I will not tell you that what you say is stupid. I will absolutely not side with "them". I will always be TEAM YOU. In an nutshell, our first session is your first chance to use your voice and start getting all of that "stuff" out of your head. Let me help you. If you let me carry some of the load, your part will be so much easier to cope with. I’m ready. Are you?
I am flexible and I am the least judgmental person you will ever meet. In my time as a Social Worker I have seen situations and walked clients through experiences that no person should ever have to travel. Through all of that I have learned that life is tricky and that attacking an issue from only one side is a really good way to fail. With that in mind, I like to use a combination of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Strengths-Based/Solutions-Based Therapies, Mindfulness, and elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. To summarize: If I could name my therapeutic approach it would be Gumbo Based Therapy.
I LOVE PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS. Seriously. I love for a client to come to me and say - I have a problem. The beautiful thing about people who tell me they have problems is that they are the folks that want to work toward getting better. What does getting better look like? -Feeling better about yourself. -Having the strength to take a shower. (I get you...some days that is a lot of work) -Living another day. -Going to the grocery store (and actually picking your items, paying for them, walking out of there with your buggy, and getting home with all of your stuff and without a panic attack.) Yes, I know you friend. It is possible. -Figuring out why they let you out of that hospital with a brand new human being and expecting you to keep it alive and stuff. -Figuring out how to survive the next 0-18+ years with these creatures that you created and you are expected to keep alive and that work your nerves every single second of your life....the life that you can't imagine living without them in it. -Surviving the unspeakable. -Getting a friend. -Starting a new relationship. -Leaving a bad relationship. -Starting a new job. -Leaving a bad job. -Making it through the day despite all the things that are thrown at you. You see, my ideal client is the person who has a problem and wants to attack it, but not to do it alone. As far as labels.....These are conditions that I have helped my clients tackle: Anxiety Depression Bipolar Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder Leaving a long term job Having a horrible boss Women's issues Empty Nest syndrome Family Conflict Self Esteem
I like to use ACT to promote clients' use of mindfulness-based exercises. This helps clients to be more grounded in the moment while working toward changing their circumstances.
CBT is an "oldie but goody" in the therapeutic toolbox. This approach is used to promote the idea that thoughts and beliefs drive behaviors and that changing one requires changing one or more of the others.
I like to play to a client's strengths as a way to make the work of change a little easier to get started. Can you imagine trying to do life-changing work without using your best tools?