I'm so glad you're here! I'm an LICSW with over 20 years of experience working with a wide range of clients. My background includes extensive experience serving children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in an outpatient setting. I bring a casual, down to earth approach to therapy with a focus on making the process feel approachable and positive. Showing up as you are is the only thing you need to work well with me. If you're someone who is feeling hesitant to start therapy for yourself or your child, know that my first priority is to help make it feel comfortable, natural and so much less daunting than you might be thinking! No need for any big prep, just book a session and show up. Leap and the net will appear! A little more about me: I'm a Minnesota native currently living in Florida. I spend a lot of my time cheering on my two school age kids from the sidelines at soccer and volleyball games and watching professional hockey (especially the MN Wild!)
In our first session, we'll get to know each other and talk about what brought you here. We'll discuss your concerns and what you want to accomplish in our time. There's no pressure to share everything all at once or to go into great detail right away. My goal is to make a process that can seem intimidating or awkward feel as natural, and comfortable as possible. This way you can begin to envision a clearer sense of how meeting with ME can benefit YOU. My hope is that you leave the first session feeling supported, and comfortable sharing your story with me.
I pride myself on having a naturally warm, casual and relaxed approach to therapy. I believe that building a genuine connection is the foundation for any meaningful therapeutic relationship. If you don't feel relaxed in a therapist's presence, or if their approach feels intimidating, overly formal or unnatural you're not set up for a positive experience. My priority is to present myself authentically so you can feel comfortable being yourself with me! Once we've established rapport; therapeutically I use insight, practical tools, psycho education and evidenced based approaches like CBT, while tailoring therapy to your personal needs, pace and personality. We'll work to set realistic goals and move toward them in a way that feels manageable and sustainable.
I work well with children, adolescents, teens and young adults. I find particular fulfillment in supporting adolescents, teens and women-especially moms- navigating life changes, relationships and other stressors. I believe finding the right fit matters, and I value creating a space where everyone feels comfortable and understood. Whether you’re navigating a major life change or trauma, helping your child gain emotional regulation, finding your teen a healthy outlet for stress, needing a neutral party to vent your worries to, or balancing the demands of motherhood and your own personal mental health, I work to create a space that feels real, and easy to open up in. No concern is too small or too complex to address if you take it one step at a time. With respect to the unique needs and challenges adult men face, I respectfully refer out individual work with this population; with the exception of fathers participating in treatment related to their child's care.
Top specialties
Child or Adolescent
Mood Disorders
Parenting
Other specialties
ADHD
Anger Management
Anxiety
I identify as
Woman
Adults (18 to 64)
Children (6 to 12)
Elders (65 and above)
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Florida
Amerihealth Administrators
Child Parent Psychotherapy
I've spent much of my career supporting children and caregivers to improve healthy age-appropriate ways of communicating. Dependent upon age and developmental status I utilize play, conversation and real time guidance through situations ranging from typical life stressors to traumas to help families develop the skills to confidently navigate the day to day together. My goal is to help you develop and fine tune the skills you inherently have to confidently navigate life's hurdles.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a very useful tool that helps us gain an understanding of how our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are connected and affect our daily lives. I enjoy working with adolescents, teens, young adults and adults to build practical everyday coping skills for anxiety, stress, mood and life transitions. My style is straightforward, supportive and realistic. I understand that change can only happen if the strategies I suggest are tailored to fit your lifestyle and temperament.
Narrative
Narrative therapy helps individuals explore the stories they carry about themselves and where they came from. Together, we work on separating you from the problem and reshaping those stories in a way that feels more accurate, balanced and ultimately empowering.
Play Therapy
Play is the inherent work of children! It is through both structured and unstructured play that children process thoughts, experiences and feelings. Engaging therapeutically through play is a safe, age-appropriate and natural way for kids to work through challenges. And YES! play therapy can be successful in a virtual setting!
Compassion Focused
Compassion Focused therapy helps you notice your inner critic, understand where it came from, and practice shifting your responses to it in a healthy and productive way. We won't just challenge your inner thoughts; we'll retrain your relationship with yourself to be less harsh and more gentle. If you tend to be a strong self-critic, Compassion Focused therapy can be very beneficial.