LPC, 7 years of experience
Hello! I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Michigan. I received my master's degree from Central Michigan University, and I've been practicing since 2017. Before I was a counselor, I was a public school teacher, so I have plenty of experience working with children and adolescents, and their parents and schools. Overall, I welcome people of all ages (6-65+) to be my clients.
I know it can be a difficult decision to begin therapy, and I admire you/your child for taking this vital first step. In our first session, we will complete an intake assessment together. This helps me to know what challenges you're facing. Then we will collaborate to create goals you want to work on in therapy, to address and resolve your challenges. When I work with younger children, I meet primarily with the parent(s)/caregiver(s) during the first session.
Some qualities I bring to our sessions include being non-judgmental, easy to talk to, friendly, patient, insightful, and empathetic. I also strive to build an environment of safety and trust in our sessions. It would be my honor to guide you/your child toward achieving your therapy goals, as your counselor. Working together, we can make it happen! Book a first session today.
As a counselor, I am most experienced working with clients of all age groups on issues such as emotion and behavior management, anxiety, ADHD and neurodivergence, self-esteem concerns, life stressors and transitions, and school/college/work concerns.
CBT is one of the methods I use most often in my sessions. We'll look at the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Then we'll explore how your negative thoughts can be defeated! These thoughts might be making you feel anxious, fearful, depressed, jealous, or angry. But we can challenge and reframe them into more rational, or positive, thoughts. CBT has been proven to be effective for millions of people and it can reduce your/your child's anxiety, fears or phobias, depression, jealousy, or anger as well!
We often show compassion to others, but when it comes to ourselves, we tend to be very critical. With Mindful Self-Compassion, I will assist you/your child in using techniques to begin treating yourself with compassion. I will explain the role of the "inner critic," the part of your brain that makes you feel "less than" others, resulting in low self-esteem and negative self-comparison. Then we'll get to work on challenging and defeating the inner critic through CBT and Mindful Self-Compassion activities.
Being mindful means living in the moment and being fully aware of the present, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. In time, this mindset can help to reduce anxiety and allow you/your child to more fully enjoy life. Some of the techniques I teach my clients are deep breathing, grounding, and guided meditations. These activities, when practiced often, can lead to increased relaxation, happiness, and better control over emotions.