Hello! I have been practicing for 8 years, with the last 5 years being in private practice focusing my work with adults struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and those feeling stuck/unmotivated rediscover and reconnect with their purpose and passions. I am licensed psychotherapist in both Texas (LPC) and Minnesota (LPCC). I received my Masters from the University of Montana - Missoula, spending time working in University Counseling Centers and Community Mental Health before continuing my work with Individuals, Couples, Military Service Members, and EMS in private practice beginning in 2019.
I view our time together as "your hour," inviting individuals, and couples, to bring into therapy the different areas of focus that are most important to them. Working together, we will explore your thoughts, feelings, challenges, and goals. We'll place an emphasis on the development of your awareness through reflections and psychoeducation, mindfulness strategies to assist you connect deeper with yourself, and self-directed behavioral interventions that will aid you in being successful throughout your life.
I employ an positive integrated approach to therapy, focusing holistically on the 'whole you.' I am motivated to not only help my client's make change, but inform them as well through psychoeducation around "why" things happen, and "how" I can overcome them centered on the development of a strong therapeutic relationship.
I have been working with couples for the past 8 years, including those looking for relationship / pre-marital counseling, marriage counseling, and divorce counseling. I use an integrated approach, holding space in session to allow both parties to explore and process their feelings, facilitate direct communication, develop communication skills, and integrate psychoeducation around relationship dynamics and the differences between men and women to assist each couple better understand their partners, and themselves, to live a fulfilled life together.
I have integrated Existential Therapy over the past 8 years of my career. It is a powerful tool we'll use to examine meaning making, understanding fulfilment in life, and addressing the unavoidable challenges life can bring us. I enjoy this approach because it is centering on the individual rather than on their symptoms, emphasizing a person's capacity to make rational choices and to develop to their maximum potential. We'll use Existential interventions to explore and get to know yourself more fully, addressing your feelings of being lost/stuck, and face challenges centered on meaninglessness within your life.
I have utilized Gestalt Therapy throughout my career as it emphasizes the therapist-client relationship as the core to treatment. The process focuses on personal responsibility, the individual's experience in the present moment, and the environmental/social contexts of a person's life. I implement Gestalt Therapy with all of my client's, and couples, acting as a bedrock for the therapeutic experience.
Psychodynamic therapy became an integral aspect of my approach as I entered private practice 5 years ago. This type of therapy focuses on self-reflection and self-inquiry to facilitate healthier relationships, behavior patterns, and awareness around the underlying root causes of your current challenges. This approach is centered on the patient-therapist connection to examine the difficult or tricky relationships in your life and the foundations of your emotional pain or distress. We will work together to develop strategies that improve your relationships and interactions with others, as well as how these experiences shape your personality, worldview, and behaviors.
The statement "knowledge is power" most certainly relates to Psychoeducation. I believe that people are smart, and if you take the time to introduce, explain, and process the academic side of mental health most people have that "ah-ha" moment related to understanding themselves. We'll bring psychoeducation into our sessions when introducing ideas/concepts centered on our work together. Psychoeducation has continued to be a powerful tool around making positive change.