I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, based in California, who has been working with clients for over 8 years. I have extensive experience in working in various treatment settings including community mental health centers, addiction treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, and in individual settings. I oversaw an intensive outpatient program specific to college students for four years at a psychiatric hospital which also provided me with experience in working with colleges and universities in the Los Angeles region. I have over 15 years of experience in working with young adults, specifically college students, struggling with issues related to mood disorders, addiction, procrastination, and burnout in both the treatment and education world.
In our first session together, we will have the opportunity to introduce ourselves and discuss the struggles you have been facing that has brought you to treatment. Additionally, we will begin to explore the goals you would like to work on together so that I may create an individualized treatment plan for you. This will allow me to identify a plan for our future sessions together.
I have over 15 years of experience in working with young adults both in the college system and in the world of therapy which has given me an understanding of the pressures and stressors faced by this population. My experience has also provided me with resources and knowledge that is useful in assisting young adults create their own life plan including personal, educational, and occupational goals they would like to meet. I believe that my experience in working in the college system has given me insight into the tools and support young adults need in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and be successful in school and work.
I incorporate DBT into therapy to assist clients who would like to work on managing unwanted symptoms, stabilizing mood, and engaging in healthy, assertive communication through the use of emotional regulation, distress tolerance skills, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
I utilize CBT skills and methods to assist clients who would like to identify irrational thought patterns (cognitive distortions) that negatively impact their ability to function and engage in relationships in a healthy manner. I also use skills from this modality to assist clients in challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more rational, positive ones.
I incorporate Motivational Interviewing into therapy for clients who are looking to reduce unhealthy habits and addictions that negatively impact daily functioning and prevent clients from being able to maintain long-term sobriety.
I believe that the most beneficial therapy a client can receive includes providing them with psychoeducation that allows them to gain insight and teaches them healthy coping skills they can utilize outside of the therapy room to assist in managing mood, decreasing unwanted symptoms, and creating a life worth living. Psychoeducation topics I cover in therapy include, but are not limited to, education on diagnoses, setting boundaries, codependency, family dynamics, and communication styles.
I provide family sessions with individual clients to enhance support system's awareness of client's struggles, strengths, and need for support as part of the recovery process.