LCSW, 10 years of experience
I am a licensed independent clinical social worker with over 14 years of experience working as a clinician, therapist , and crisis interventionist. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, substance use problems, psychosis, and ADHD. I also helped people who have experienced trauma and/or emotional abuse. I would like to clarify my expertise does not include eating disorders, or pornography addiction as of yet, although I do understand some of the symptoms and causes. My therapy style is genuine and solution focused.. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. My approach is dialectical behavioral based with strengths perspective and motivational interviewing. Any treatment plan to meet your needs will be collaborative, timely, and with measurable goals. Usually following the "S.M.A.R.T." goal format. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. I have worked extensively in crisis intervention in the agency and on the streets, in hospitals, and in mental health courts and case management agencies, and have managed in this capacity. I also have many years experience related to substance use disorders and have worked as a therapist utilizing primarily Dialectical Behavioral Therapy as my main approach as well as utilizing Cognitive Behavior Therapy . Regardless of any experience, upbringing, current, or past situation, everyone has choices they can make that best serves them and the life they want to live. I look forward to working with you!
First session will be you informing me of your reasons for therapy, discussing testing as how it effects therapy, and working towards goals for therapy. Informed consent does not mean I am an expert who tells you what to do. Rather, it is a chance to discuss issues, see how they may , or may not be related , so have you as much information to help guide your goals for therapy.
My strength's are life experience, compassion, insight, patience, and seeing the client in a strength's perspective rather than a deficit. Being able to work with a client so they can see themselves as perfect, whole, and complete is my greatest joy.
The client who I can best serve is able and willing to do the work and make time for themselves to recover and heal. Therapy can be difficult, but there is no better time than today to get started , identify the barriers to the life you want, and work on developing skills and coping strategies to move towards that life.
For some client's , before they can begin to manage their thought content, the issue of dysregulated emotions can be a barrier. Following the four modules of DBT can be very effective to calm down emotions and then begin to manage thought content. Am certified in DBT.
Starting with identifying negativistic content can be the beginning to managing depressive and anxious thoughts as well as uncover deeper core beliefs that hinder and undermind daily life.