I have an eclectic background that includes holistic medicine, exercise physiology, and cognitive behavioral therapy. I have worked with individuals with a broad range of goals, interests, and challenges, including athletes, LGBTQ individuals, adults experiencing chronic medical issues, adults in need of career counseling, adults with intellectual disabilities, and mostly, regular people experiencing everyday challenges in life that we all face, sometimes seeming to overwhelm, intimidate and distress us even on our better days. My goal with treatment is to clarify, assist, and support. The best outcome for me is that you, my client, feel capable of using some of the tools and strategies that we talk about to better navigate your daily life.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
With some individuals, I feel that it is important to look back so that we can develop an historical lens to help us understand current challenges. So, we may sometimes discuss the past, including uncomfortable memories from long ago that may be influencing thoughts and feelings today. For other individuals, it seems more appropriate to stay in the present, and develop coping strategies for challenges that arise on a daily basis. I am most likely to leave it up to you, my client, to decide how best to approach things, because I am open to different ways of thinking and would rather have you, my client, decide what format works best for you. I think that in my sessions you will know that you are heard, understood, and respected and that you will be able to continue to rely on me as a support person as we move forward.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My biggest strength, I think, is my respect for individuality. As an older counselor, I have experienced a few different professions, have many hobbies, and have been marginalized in different ways during the course of my own life. What I most wish to instill in my clients are feelings of worthiness and validity. We are not alone, but it's sometimes hard to feel healthy and connected in the environment that we're all living in these days. I hope to be able to help my clients take up space, feel connected to their "tribe" of choice, and find those "whirled peas" that we all keep visualizing but can't seem to capture.