LCSW, 30 years of experience
Hello, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California. I have been a medical social worker for about 30 years and have worked in every capacity in the medical field. This experience gives me a broad knowledge of chronic illnesses, anxiety, life altering illnesses, depression and unexpected life changes. I am also a mother of grown children and get how hard parenting can be, especially as a single parent.
In our first session, I will be doing a lot of information gathering. This might seem tedious, but it is important to do this work so that I can understand who you are as a person, what goals you have for our therapeutic sessions and ultimately for you to see if we will be a good fit in our therapeutic alliance.
My biggest strength as a therapist is that I have walked the walk through therapy myself and have learned a lot in my own life. As a medical social worker, I have met patients that have suffered terrible illnesses and trauma; I am always amazed at the physical and mental strength humans have. I have taken all of that experience and knowledge and use it with clients to develop attainable therapeutic goals to decrease symptoms you may be experiencing.
I have a true passion for working with people from all walks of life. It is hard to reach out and find a therapist that you trust; I hope I can be that person for you, if not, that is okay too. I love working with people who have gotten to a place in their life where they are ready to make changes. My goal is to help you develop tools to use so that you can make positive changes in your life and feel like you are free to be your true, natural, beautiful self.
I draw on thirty years of experience in the medical field and use an eclectic, humanistic style that is focused on CBT, solution focused therapy. I am passionate about this work and love listening and guiding people through difficult situations.
I recently was certified in Polyvagal Therapy from the PVI with Stephen W. Porges, PhD and his associates. There are many exercises that can help you regulate your autonomic nervous system and I find they provide quick relief of symptoms of anxiety.