(she/her)
New to Grow
Hello! I'm Allison, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a specialized background in hospice, healthcare, grief, loss and life transitions. I've spent my career supporting individuals and families through high-stress, emotionally complex situations. I also hold a certification in Healthcare Ethics, which allows me to help clients navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and values-based challenges with clarity and confidence. My approach is direct, compassionate, and collaborative. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all model. We are all individuals, and that needs to be respected and rooted in the work we do together.
Our first session is focused and practical. We'll talk about what's leading you to seek support now, what's been weighing on you, and what you want to be different. We'll gather general history, cultural and familial background. This allows me to get to know you for you, not just what brings you to Grow. Understanding you as individual will help lay the ground work for our time together.
I bring real-world clinical experience working with grief, loss, chronic illness and high-stakes life challenges and situations. I'm comfortable sitting with difficult emotions and helping you make sense of them without feeling overwhelmed. I focus on breaking things down in to manageable pieces so that change feels possible. In addition to emotional support, I help clients think through decisions, set boundaries, and develop strategies that work in real life, not just theory.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve are folks that are going through major life transitions, grief and/or loss, caregiver stress or burnout, and those dealing with anxiety that feels tied to overwhelming life circumstances. I'm a strong fit for clients who want both support and direction, people who want to talk through things, but also want to better understand their situation and actively work towards feeling more confident, stable and in control.
Compassion Focused
I find that starting at a place of validation and understanding is pivotal in building trust with clients. Your feelings are valid, and starting from a place of compassion for those feelings, allows the ground work for deeper work and exploration.
Grief Therapy
Having most of my career focused in hospice and end of life care, I have seen and supported all different types of loss, and helped clients navigate their grief. Exploring well known grief theories and using them to address the grief a client feels has been instrumental in their success to grow with their grief.
Strength-Based
I enjoy bringing strength based perspectives and treatment methods in to my practice because in my experience, some clients have a hard time finding the good in their day, or recognizing the wins that they have. Helping them identify this and seeing the realization leads to stronger, deeper work and builds self-confidence and self-awareness.