If someone asked you not to think for 10 minutes how hard would that be? Is overthinking about the “What Ifs” driving you to relentlessly check things over and over again? Are you determined to find certainty in an uncertain world? Do you frequently ask others repeatedly if something or someone is going to be OK? No matter how much you do a task or say a particular thing does peace of mind elude you? Does the compulsion to handwash, re-read, double check, pray, or re-arrange items never provide lasting relief? Do you find yourself burdened by intrusive thoughts that strike against your will and preoccupy your mind for hours a day? OCD is characterized by unabating obsessions matched with intense mental or behavioral rituals to relieve the anxiety provoked. It is not treated by “talk therapy” but with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Through customized gradual exposures, ERP is an evidence-based method of intervention to reduce the severity of OCD symptoms. ERP is a collaborative and creative approach to learning new skills and strategies to become comfortable with uncertainty and more confident in your ability to handle life’s unexpected challenges. My style is compassionate, client centered, and culturally sensitive. What to do if you’re nervous about sharing your thoughts with me in therapy? If you're too embarrassed to share something, you can write it down, you can use visuals, you can type it. We can work around this to find other ways that you can deliver the communication. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Registered Out-of-State Telehealth Provider in Florida, South Carolina, and Vermont. My treatment focus is on neurodivergent issues, gifted learners, managing life transitions, women’s mental health issues around shifting roles in family and career, and immigration/re-entry adjustment stressors.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
My therapeutic style is collaborative, client-centered, and multiculturally sensitive. I focus on supporting neurodivergent and gifted learners with healthy adaptive coping tools to develop resilience in an uncertain world. Interventions used in my practice are solutions-oriented, evidenced and strength based. You are the expert on you. My role is to facilitate and support an awareness of how to implement changes to overcome unhelpful patterns in thinking and decision making. I strive to see the whole person not just a list of symptoms. Understanding your unique background is key because therapy is not a cookie cutter approach. ***Please note that I only work with individuals. I do not offer couples counseling***
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
This is not a cookie-cutter approach. You will not be treated like a textbook case. Therapy is unique to each person, and treatment is very collaborative. It's more of a partnership. You're the expert on you. We will follow a process and a protocol, but you will be very involved in the treatment, not passive As a therapist, I like to learn a lot about what's happening in your life now. How does your OCD manifest in daily life? What are you doing now that isn't working for you? I also like to get background stories to determine perhaps why some of these anxieties exist. I like to look at biopsychosocial history—like birth order or your school experience—which is often relevant.