In our first session together, here's what you can expect

The first session is structured but not stiff — think of it as getting the lay of the land so we can chart a direction together. I’ll ask about the history of what’s bringing you in, your family background, relevant cultural and identity factors, previous experiences with therapy, and what you want to accomplish. You talk; I ask good questions; we map out what matters most right now. My priority is helping you feel comfortable enough to be honest, even if you’re unsure where to start. I won’t ask you to dive into painful memories before we’ve built some trust, and I don’t expect you to have every answer ready. This is a conversation, not an interrogation. By the end of the first session, we’ll have initial goals, a sense of direction, and a shared understanding of what our work together might look like. Many clients say they walk out feeling unexpectedly hopeful — not because everything is solved, but because they finally feel like they don’t have to navigate it alone.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I’ve spent my career working in settings where people face intense emotional and psychological stress, and those experiences have shaped how I practice today. I’ve worked in medical hospitals, a residential treatment center for addiction and co-occurring conditions, and my private practice specializing in trauma, PTSD, emotion regulation challenges, and relationship difficulties. In my current position, I provide clinical supervision focused on PTSD and complex trauma, helping newer clinicians develop the skills and confidence to do this challenging work well. I’m formally trained in EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy, CBT, DBT, and ACT, and I integrate these approaches flexibly based on what each client needs. Years of working with diverse clients navigating complex histories have taught me to stay grounded, listen deeply, and help people untangle problems they’ve often struggled with for decades. Clients frequently tell me I’m funny, easy to talk to, and that I help them see things differently — and while I’ll always take the compliment, I believe the real magic is in the partnership we build. My job is to offer expertise, clarity, and steady support; your job is to show up as you are. Together, we make change possible.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I work exclusively with adults, and my ideal client is someone who feels the weight of a difficult past — whether that’s a chaotic or painful childhood, trauma from a major life event, or years of carrying emotional burdens alone. Many of the people I see are hard-working, intelligent, capable individuals who are tired of feeling anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, or stuck in the same relationship patterns. They may rely on coping strategies that get the job done short-term but create problems long-term, and they’re ready for something different. My therapy style is grounded in evidence-based approaches — EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy, CBT, DBT, and ACT — but the experience in the room feels collaborative and human. We unravel patterns, build emotional regulation skills, and make sense of the connections between past experiences and current struggles. Goals often include increasing stability, reducing symptoms, strengthening relationships, building healthier coping, and feeling more in control of one’s life.