Licensed to practice in Florida and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Trauma and PTSD, Anxiety, Depression
New to Grow
I am a Licensed Mental health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Florida, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Villanova University and Master’s Degree in Counseling from Wake Forest University. I am an Army veteran and former military spouse (17 years). I know personally and professionally how devastating traumatic experiences can negatively impact one’s life emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually, and remain passionate about assisting people from all backgrounds and beliefs to gain greater insight of how their past impacts their current emotional wellbeing and self-concept. I am genuinely interested and invested in the emotional health and wellness needs of my clients, and work to foster a healthy trust-based therapeutic relationship with them from the start which combined with research based therapeutic guidance provides the proper space, time, and support they need to explore, process, and heal from a painful past and regain renewed emotional peace and self-acceptance at present and into the future.My professional experience has been in addressing the emotional and mental health needs and concerns of indiviuals between the ages of 18-65+, for various mental health related concerns and issues across the life spectrum.
I know how difficult it can be for people to make the step and start therapy, knowing that this entails going through painful experiences and a willingness to be vulenrable with a "stranger". My primary interest from the first time we meet, until our last session is to ensure your trust and the rapport we have. I am always honored and humbled by by clients making the choice to work with me, share their story, engage in every session with the goal of making progress towards their peace, and the trust in me to provide them with the tools they need to heal. My sessions are goal oriented, but also focused on you and what you bring to the session. If something came up in the week that is triggering we focus on that before moving forward where we left off in last session. My clients are the Experts of their lives, and I am the honored GUIDE, helping them to move forward with peace and acceptance.
I practice from a person-centered perspective that places me as the guide and YOU, the client as the EXPERT in your journey. My presence is a support to you being able to reflect in a meaningful way on dysfunctional emotional, thought, and behavior patterns that keep repeating; and provide you with means to gain greater insight and self awareness to notice the patterns before they occur,. I offer you a means of exploring options on how to move through a situation, allowing you to make mindful decisions to change your steps forward, thereby breaking the trauma cycle, and gaining new found self-acceptance, strength, and freedom from unresolved trauma.
My ideal clients are struggling with managing and coping with life on life's terms, either because of past unresolved trauma, or from being overwhelmed by severeal major conflicting issues occurring simultaneously. These issues include: PTSD/Trauma Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Grief and Loss Self Esteem Issues SUD Relapse Prevention Life Stage Changes and Stressors My clients who see the greatset progress in their work with me, are those individuals who are goal oriented and passionate about doing introsepctive work between our sessions, and are then able to propcess and explore that time with me, and identify new ways to cope and manage with their intense symptoms.
Using CBT therapetuic interventions I assist a client to identify, explore, process and reframe negative self talk and beliefs that impact their emotional, social, physical wellbeing and self concept; allowing them to identify and implement healthy thought reframing coping techniques to manage anxiety and depression triggered by negative self talk/beliefs and mitigate impact to their overall wellbeing.
Using DBT therapeutic interventions I assist clients in being able to identify and implment stress tolerance coping skills to help them manage severe symptoms of anxiety and depression; and mindfulness tools as a means of gaining self control over their emotionas rather than letting their emotions run their lives stealing their joy, purpose, and connection with others.
My primary therapetuic intervention is ALWAYS person-centered with the primary goal of building and sustaining positive therapeeutic rapport with the client so that a solid foundation of trust exists, and the client feels safe to be vulnerable in exploring the primary issues impacting their ability to progress with purpose and peace in their life.
Using Motivational Interviewing therapeutic interventions alllow me to assess and explore a client's current interest in engaging in change, and their level of resistance to it. I am able to help a client gain perspective of how their current thoughts and behavior patterns are not in alignment with their goals, and assist them in implementing new coping skills to remain focused/engaged and committed to the change process they want to see in their lives.