LMHC, 4 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a licensed mental health counselor with experience working with adults who are struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use, and trauma/PTSD. I take an empathic and integrative approach to therapy, meeting you where you are at, addressing the goals that you set for yourself, and selecting therapeutic strategies based on your needs. In addition to working as a psychotherapist, I am a researcher and educator at Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance and have a weekend job/hobby as a florist.
First, what brings you here? What are your goals for life and how do you imagine therapy can help you reach them? Maybe we can come up with a plan, but it might take a few sessions. I won't pretend I have the answers. If the answers were easy, we probably wouldn't be talking. I'd rather just get to know you, and you me. Oh, and we'll talk about some logistics at the end.
I will not judge you. Hopefully you won't judge me. Trust (with time), compassion, and courage are what makes therapy work, or at least that's what my experience has taught me. There are solutions to the complex problems of life and I will be your teammate in finding them.
Being ready to change is not a requirement, it's a luxury. Wherever you are at in the change process, I'll meet you there.
I use cognitive/behavioral interventions, motivational interviewing, humanistic and existential approaches, psychodynamic theories, and harm reduction for substance use. Theories aside, I believe that acceptance, love and courage heal.
I love the metaphors used in ACT and include them in my "eclectic" approach.
We all have to come to terms with death, freedom, isolation and meaning and it's not "easy" for anyone.
I am a human, you are a human. Let's leave it at that.
Carl Jung has had a great influence on me. I offer his approach for those who are interested.