My practice is located in Portland, Texas. Much of my work focuses on trauma. This ranges from car accidents, to childhood trauma, to abusive relationships, combat veterans and PTSD. I respect my client's opinions on their treatment and work closely with them in treatment planning. I love it when clients share resources with me that have helped them outside of sessions, whether that be podcasts, books, etc. I work to incorporate these things into treatment. I'm very skilled at meeting a client where he or she is at, and I have a talent for coaching clients through the difficult parts of treatment to continue making progress and not become "stuck."
In our first session, I'm interested in getting to know you as a person, and answering any questions you may have for me to help make you feel comfortable in working with me. I'll ask you what brings you in, and you'll be free to tell me as much or as little as you'd like regarding any presenting problems you may be struggling with. Sometimes clients are worried they will be expected to "trauma dump" in the first session, but I respect a client's need for comfort before opening up completely.
First and foremost, I genuinely enjoy and believe in my clients. I feel privileged to be trusted to sit down with clients and offer help. I utilize therapeutic techniques that are evidence-based and the gold-standard for trauma treatment. Additionally, having spent seven years as a paralegal in a family law office gives me a unique perspective to help clients navigate difficulties brought on by divorce or custody situations. Good therapy should be safe and effective. I work hard to provide this for my clients.
EMDR is a type of therapy that reprocesses trauma in such a way that clients end up feeling empowered by the same experiences that once debased them. I have successfully utilized this type of therapy for various types of traumas, ranging from athletes with performance anxiety, childhood trauma, abusive relationships, to combat veterans with PTSD.
Any time we "remove" something in therapy, we must "replace" it with something better. CBT helps clients identify mistaken beliefs that may be holding them back, and replaces them with other more accurate and helpful beliefs. CBT is useful for a wide range of psychological conditions.
Solution-Focused Therapy helps clients identify their own strengths and develop coping skills for use during difficult times. The client is the expert in his or her own life; he or she already has the resources needed to construct solutions to problems. I help clients identify and implement the resources they have.