LMFT, 13 years of experience
Hi, I have been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist for the past 13 years. I graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies in expressive arts therapy. I also have lived in a Zen Buddhist temple to do residential practice for five years. My goal is to help people feel better as soon as possible. Usually by the time a person enters therapy they have been under stress that has been building for a while. I help people identify and clarify what their goals are and present interventions that I have supported people using that help them feel better.
In the first session, I will be curious as to why you are seeking therapy at this time. I will probable ask a lot of questions to get to know you and to get a senes of how I can best help you. I also, am very open to questions you have about my therapeutic skill and experience. I believe therapy works best when my client's know why I am suggesting an intervention and how it will help them. I encourage questions from my clients about what we are doing in therapy and why. I believe this openness creates the strongest healing space.
Having been licensed for past 13 years, I have developed knowledge of many different ways to help people feel better. I see myself as a facilitator of change and the one in charge of suggesting different interventions that I believe will be helpful. I encourage my clients to he honest with me about their progress so that I can adjust and suggest different interventions that may be more helpful to a person.
I am passionate about working with a wide age range of adults. I helped people make career changes, change negative thinking patterns that are not working for them anymore and increase an overall sense of well being in the world. The client's I work with are usually motivated to make changes and they need support developing skills to help them achieve their goals.
I believe that mindfulness-based therapy helps us sharpen our attention to what thoughts we are having with out acting on them. I also use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interventions that are supported by increased awareness of thought patterns and negative thinking.