(she/her)
New to Grow
Hi, I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to helping children, adolescents, and families navigate anxiety, trauma, behavioral challenges, and life’s stressors with compassion and practical support. I use a warm, collaborative, and strengths-based approach to help clients build coping skills, improve emotional wellness, and move toward healing and growth. I strive to create a safe, supportive space where clients feel understood, empowered, and equipped with tools for lasting change. For clients who desire it, I also welcome integrating Christian faith into the counseling process as part of holistic healing.
In our first session, you can expect a welcoming, supportive, and judgment-free space where we begin getting to know each other. We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, the concerns or challenges you’d like support with, and what goals you may have for counseling. I’ll ask questions to better understand your history, current stressors, strengths, and what you hope to gain from our work together, while moving at a pace that feels comfortable for you. The first session is also a chance for you to ask questions, share what you’re looking for in a therapist, and begin building a connection to see if we’re a good fit. My goal is for you to leave feeling heard, supported, and with a clearer sense of how therapy can help. Together, we’ll begin creating a plan tailored to your needs and goals.
What stands out about my therapeutic approach is that I work hard to create a warm, supportive, and comfortable environment where clients can feel safe being themselves. I believe therapy works best when people feel genuinely heard, accepted, and not judged, so I focus on building strong relationships with my clients and meeting them where they are. My approach is compassionate and down-to-earth, while also offering practical tools to help clients manage stress, process difficult emotions, and make meaningful changes. I blend supportive counseling with evidence-based approaches like CBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing, always tailoring therapy to each person’s needs. Clients often tell me they appreciate that sessions feel natural, encouraging, and supportive rather than overly clinical. I want therapy to feel like a place where you can be real, feel understood, gain coping skills, and leave with hope, confidence, and a sense that you do not have to navigate things alone.
I am best positioned to serve children, adolescents, and families navigating anxiety, emotional or behavioral challenges, trauma, grief, family stress, and life transitions. I work well with clients who may feel overwhelmed, stuck, misunderstood, or struggle to express and manage their emotions in healthy ways. I have particular experience supporting youth dealing with school-related stress, peer conflict, anger, ADHD-related challenges, self-esteem concerns, and difficulties related to family changes such as divorce or conflict. I am especially well suited to work with clients who want to build coping skills, improve emotional regulation, strengthen communication, process difficult experiences, and increase confidence and resilience. I work well with clients who may be hesitant about therapy, need a supportive and nonjudgmental space, or benefit from a collaborative, strengths-based approach that meets them where they are. My approach is a good fit for clients seeking practical tools for change while also wanting compassionate support in processing deeper emotional struggles. I am also well positioned to support individuals who value incorporating faith or Christian principles into counseling when desired as part of their healing process.
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Peer Relationships
Anger Management
Child or Adolescent
Depression
Christian
Woman
Adults (18 to 64)
Children (6 to 12)
Elders (65 and above)
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Kentucky
Arlo
Motivational Interviewing
In practice, I use core Motivational Interviewing techniques including open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summaries (OARS) to build rapport, enhance insight, and elicit “change talk.” I use MI to help clients explore ambivalence, strengthen internal motivation, increase self-efficacy, and move toward personally meaningful goals. For children and adolescents, I often adapt MI developmentally by incorporating age-appropriate conversation, strengths-based reflection, and supportive problem-solving. I frequently integrate MI with other approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), solution-focused interventions, and psychoeducation. In school-based and community mental health settings, I use MI to support clients with issues such as anxiety, depression, coping skill development, medication adherence, family conflict, behavioral challenges, and readiness for change. My approach emphasizes empathy, autonomy, nonjudgment, and meeting clients where they are while helping them identify practical steps toward progress.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
In practice, I use CBT interventions to help clients recognize connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, challenge cognitive distortions, develop healthier coping strategies, and build problem-solving skills. Common techniques I use include cognitive restructuring, thought identification, coping skills training, behavioral activation, relaxation strategies, and development of practical interventions clients can use outside of sessions. With children and adolescents, I often adapt CBT interventions developmentally through use of interactive activities, worksheets, games, and skill-building exercises to make concepts accessible and engaging. I also frequently integrate CBT with strengths-based approaches, motivational interviewing, and psychoeducation to support individualized treatment goals. My use of CBT focuses on helping clients increase emotional regulation, improve coping, reduce symptoms, and build long-term skills that support resilience and functioning.
Supportive
In practice, I use supportive therapy through active listening, emotional validation, encouragement, problem-solving support, psychoeducation, and reinforcement of strengths and adaptive coping. This approach is especially helpful when clients are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, trauma responses, family conflict, adjustment difficulties, or periods of acute stress. I often use supportive therapy alongside other evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing, providing a stabilizing framework while helping clients process emotions, improve insight, and work toward treatment goals. My approach emphasizes empathy, rapport-building, strengthening self-efficacy, and meeting clients where they are while offering consistent support and guidance.
Christian Counseling
Christian counseling principles are an important part of my practice when appropriate to the client’s preferences, values, and treatment goals. I use a faith-sensitive, person-centered approach that recognizes spirituality as a potential source of strength, hope, meaning, and healing. I respect each client’s beliefs and only integrate Christian principles when desired by the client and clinically appropriate. In practice, I may incorporate Christian counseling interventions through values exploration, faith-based encouragement, discussion of forgiveness, grace, purpose, and hope, as well as use of scripture or prayer when requested by the client. I often help clients draw upon their faith as a coping resource while addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship struggles, and life transitions. I integrate Christian principles alongside evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), supportive therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, ensuring care remains ethical, clinically sound, and centered on the client’s individual needs. My approach emphasizes compassion, restoration, personal dignity, and supporting clients holistically—emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
In practice, I incorporate mindfulness interventions such as grounding techniques, breathing exercises, guided relaxation, body awareness, emotion regulation strategies, and mindfulness exercises designed to help clients observe thoughts and feelings without judgment. These interventions help clients reduce reactivity, increase self-awareness, and develop healthier responses to stressors. With children and adolescents, I often adapt mindfulness approaches developmentally through simple grounding activities, sensory-based exercises, movement, and age-appropriate coping practices. I frequently integrate mindfulness-based strategies with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), supportive therapy, and other evidence-based approaches to support individualized treatment goals. My approach focuses on helping clients build practical skills for calming the nervous system, improving resilience, and promoting overall emotional wellness.