(she/her)
Are you a teenager, college kid, or young adult who is interested in therapy? Great, that's my thing! I work exclusively with young adults, from high schoolers to 20-somethings. Working with this unique age group is more than a job to me; it is both a calling and my greatest honor. I am immensely proud to be considered a safe, non-judgmental adult for many young people.
Our first session will always be an intake appointment where we'll discuss your history, current symptoms, and goals for therapy. Don't worry about not knowing where to start; I have an intake form that we can talk through together to help me learn more about you. The overall purpose of an intake is to paint the big picture, not finalize the details and shading. I can also share a bit about myself and my background so that you don't feel like you're talking to a literal stranger.
I like to take an integrative approach to therapy. I pull from several different modalities and integrate them into your personal treatment. There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all in therapy, so I tailor our sessions based on what you need that week. My go-to's include: CBT, DBT, humanistic, compassion-focused, strengths-based, and feminist therapies ... with a sprinkle of the arts like music, dance, or art therapy.
My ideal clients are the girls, the gays, and the theys (also anyone who isn't harshly judging my eyebrows in that headshot - it's microblading from 2020). I am a loud ally for marginalized groups and I do not play well with conservatives. My clients are roughly ages 15-25 give or take a couple years on either end. Some common themes in my work include: managing anxiety, stress, depression, and/or general feelings of overwhelm and dread; adjusting to changes/transitions such as graduating, moving, starting a new job; navigating relationships with family, friends, romantic partners, peers, and co-workers; taking care of our bodies through healthy nutrition, sleep, and self-expression; living with chronic illness or invisible disabilities; building confidence, self-esteem, and self-advocacy skills; women's issues and dismantling the patriarchy.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
True story: CBT saved my life and has profoundly changed the way I look at the world. The main idea of CBT is that our thoughts directly impact our feelings, and our feelings directly impact how we act or what we do. If we can change our thoughts, we can change our feelings, and thus we can change our behavior. CBT helps us recognize unhelpful patterns in our thinking that often contribute to chronic feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger, and depression. Here's an example: say you're transferring to a new college and you're thinking "what if I don't make friends??" --> those thoughts lead you to feel anxious & sick to your stomach --> those feelings make you panic and have trouble completing basic tasks like eating and going to class. CBT teaches us to recognize that our initial thoughts (no friends, so alone) are assumptions based in anxiety and self-consciousness. You can reframe your initial thoughts into ones that are more realistic and fair, such as "I have made friends before and I will make them again." Those reframed thoughts now allow you to approach your transfer with more confidence, and a level of anxiety that is much more manageable and appropriate for the situation.
Compassion Focused
I am constantly telling my clients that they need to treat themselves the way they would treat a loved one or dear friend. If a friend turned in a project late because they were overwhelmed or confused with the work, would you ever say to them "you're so lazy you really need to get your act together" ? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Most likely you'd say something along the lines of "I feel you, we have so much work this quarter" or maybe even "let me know if you need help next time." Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an approach that greatly benefits those of us who are quick to self-shame and self-criticize. Some people tend to be unreasonably harsh and don't treat themselves with the same sense of love, patience, and understanding that they would give someone else. The overarching goal of CFT is to build a sense of compassion and understanding towards ourselves and others. I support my clients in recognizing and calling out their own internal hostility and replacing it with kindness and respect. Doing so helps clients to feel calm and safe in their own beings and bodies. Also practicing compassion towards others (instead of automatically interpreting their actions in a negative way) helps people experience less social anxiety, self-consciousness, frustration, and emotional dysregulation.