LMHC, 8 years of experience
New to Grow
I bring over 10 years of experience in the mental health field, with the past 8 years spent working full-time as a counselor. I’ve worked in a variety of settings, leading individual sessions as well as psychoeducation and quality-of-life groups. My approach blends CBT, EMDR, and creative/experiential techniques, helping teens and adults make connections between their current struggles and past experiences so they can move forward with greater health and freedom.
The first session can often feel messy--I compare it to dumping a puzzle out on a table and sorting through edge pieces, corner pieces, and central pieces. A lot of times the first couple of sessions are trying to prioritize the issues--what are the immediate concerns and what coping skills or resources need to be developed. But the first few sessions are also about me getting to know you and you getting to know me as a therapist and figuring out if we will work well together.
I have an eclectic approach to therapy and do my best to tailor it to each client's needs and personality.
You may feel like you are stuck at a crossroads wondering how you ended up here and, more importantly, where do you go now? Sometimes feeling stuck looks like struggling with mood issues like anxiety or depression, or past pain continues to weigh on you and you find yourself wondering why you can't just "get over it." Maybe it's relational issues. Moments like these invite you to wrestle with where you've been, who you are, who you want to become, and where you want to go.
For clients who follow the Christian faith, I help them understand how their faith experience and the Bible have impacted the way they handle life stressors as well as how it can be a resource for them.
I use a blend of therapeutic techniques that focus on the connection between thoughts, beliefs, and emotions as well as how that experience is felt in the body. Part of my therapeutic approach is to look at how early childhood experiences have impacted the way we interpret and respond to current events and where we can change our responses.
I help clients get past memories or current events that they feel hung up on by helping them find a connecting thread through beliefs, emotions, and/or sensations. I use bilateral stimulation such as tapping to help clients fully process those memories so that they cause less distress.