LCSW, 20 years of experience
Greetings! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who, for twenty years, have been helping others to live and lead their best lives. While my more recent work has been with Active-Duty service members and veterans, I have also worked extensively with adults of all ages in a variety of settings, such as inpatient and outpatient. I have far-reaching experience with helping people to manage addiction, process trauma and loss, cope with mental illness, and take on the challenges of everyday life. I earned my MSW and BS from the University of Utah, but I grew up in, and currently reside in, Connecticut. I hold the sanctity of the therapeutic relationship seriously and, as such, your comfort and privacy are exceptionally important to me.
I will review your assessment before our first session. We will therefore use that time to better establish your needs and get to know each other. I will be prepared to answer any questions you may have. If you have never seen a therapist, fear not, the first session is a way for you to learn more about how therapy works and what types of therapy might be best for you. The first session also serves as a time for both of us to determine if we are a “good fit.” Rest assured, you will not be asked or expected to commit to working with me after only one meeting.
I am creative and enjoy using "outside the norm" tools to help people. I aim to be approachable, straight-forward, and I don't like to use a lot of therapy jargon. I am flexible, and I will meet you where you are. I have worked within many different types of practices, many of which provided or motivated me to pursue continuing education opportunities. These professional experiences have broadened my range of therapeutic interventions and deepened my commitment to helping others.
My years working with people with addiction issues and military personnel has provided me with an ability to understand and have compassion for people who are in challenging positions and have a strong motivation to make positive changes to their lives. I have worked hard to overcome significant difficulties in my own life and practice what I preach. I am also acutely aware that life will continue to throw us obstacles and lower our motivation at times, which is completely normal. It is my hope that I can help you utilize your strengths to bring back that motivation and find your way back to your path or create a new one. It is not me making the changes, it is you; I am here to support you.
Because everyone has different life experiences and ways of learning, I will work with you to assess what therapeutic approaches might be best for you. Typically, I utilize several treatment modalities that include but are not limited to supportive psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, CPT, CBT, DBT, ACT, and MI. All of this alphabet soup can be explained, but most improvement is the result of your desire to make incremental changes over time and the degree to which you and your therapist are a good fit. This will require you to be open to changing old habits and ways of thinking about yourself and others and be willing to make said changes.