(she/her)
Hello and Welcome to my practice. I know that reaching out for help can often be very difficult, I am glad that you are taking that first step to feel better. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Mental Health Therapist with 20 plus years of experience working in the mental health field. I have extensive experience providing therapy in a various settings including home based, outpatient offices, residential, and via telehealth. I earned a BA in Psychology from Indiana University in 1991, Masters in Social Work from Indiana University in 1996 and obtained my License in Clinical Social Work in 1999. I believe it is important to accurately assess a client's needs in order to provide effective treatment. Engaging and building trust is also imperative for clients to feel safe and comfortable sharing their feelings. I meet people "where they are" to try and help them move forward in making lasting changes. I am compassionate and respectful of "your" process.
The first session will entail engaging and introductions, along with asking questions in order to complete a psychosocial assessment. The assessment will help to start determining needs and goals for therapy.
I engage and build trust with clients easily so that they feel comfortable sharing and being vulnerable. I have extensive experience working with teenagers, adults, and families. I often use a client-centered approach which can be very empowering for clients. I also rely heavily on cognitive behavioral therapy which focuses on unhelpful thinking patterns that lead to negative and unwanted emotions. I have strong clinical skills and have significant experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, interpersonal relationships, co-dependency, daily stress, self-worth, and more. I help clients identity any barriers, highlight their strengths, and guide/support clients during our time together.
I primarily provide short term therapy usually ranging from 6-12 sessions, but will evaluate depending on the client's needs.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT often to help clients to learn how to recognize unhealthy thoughts that lead to negative emotions/behaviors. I help clients learn how to shift/reframe their negative thinking that leads to feelings such as anxiety, worry, fear, depression and low self-worth. We will discuss this in sessions and I often utilize worksheets and other tools to help clients practice using this technique in every day life.
Supportive
I use active listening, empathy, validation, positive reinforcement, problem solving, and psychoeducation to provide emotional support, practical guidance, and coping strategies to help clients manage emotional distress and improve their mental health.