(she/her)
New to Grow
Hello and Welcome! I have been practicing social work for almost fifteen years and take great pride in helping others. My previous work experience includes outpatient behavioral health and providing mental health care in a female correctional facility. What I have always been most impressed with is the amount of strength and resiliency each person I meet already possesses. If you decide to join me in therapy, I eagerly await helping you to identify and build upon your own strengths and resiliency.
In our first session together you can expect a safe place to get to know each other. I will have some basic questions for you and will leave plenty of space for your questions. From our very first session we will begin envisioning what our work together will look like, leaving plenty of room for change along the way. For me, the most important thing for you to take away from our first session is that I am always open to your feedback and that our sessions are a safe place for you to speak freely without fear of judgement.
As your therapist, my job is to meet you where you are at and allow you to "steer the ship." I believe there is no "one size fits all" therapeutic approach and so I will spend time getting to know you and determining which interventions are best suited for you. All of this work is rooted in a strengths based perspective because as I have mentioned, you already are resilient and possess many strengths. We will create realistic goals that help you accomplish "small bites" of progress so that you do not feel overwhelmed by the work we are doing. And because no path is ever linear, we will always leave room for changes to the plan along the way.
I have spent most of my career working with adults from various walks of life. Many of previous clients come from diverse and underserved populations to include people of color, individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, women with significant trauma experiences, refugees and immigrants. I value allowing the client to be their own expert and I never assume that I know or understand what you have been through.
Strength-Based
While we face so many challenges in life and it is important to validate each challenge someone experiences, I truly believe every individual brings a sense of resiliency and strength that can be built upon to get through challenges.
Relational
The most important aspect of therapy is the therapeutic relationship. My goal as the therapist is to help meet clients where they are and build a relationship that creates a safe space for them to speak openly about whatever they may be experiencing.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Many people experience thinking patterns that are irrational, catastrophic and quite frankly stuck! During therapy sessions I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify their unhelpful thinking patterns, the impact they have and then challenge that thinking with more helpful and rational thoughts. This takes time and practice but I find it so rewarding when clients can begin challenging their own unhelpful thinking patterns.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma informed care means that I as the therapist will create a safe space for you as the client from the first time we meet. Safety will likely look slightly different for each person who "enters my office" but by creating an open dialogue about what safety looks like for you, we will ensure you have a comfortable space to process all of life's experiences.