LP, 7 years of experience
I obtained my master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University, and my doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Radford University. I have been a licensed psychologist since 2020 and have primarily worked within the Veterans Health Care System, though other clinical experiences include community health care centers and substance use centers. I have worked with adult patients from a variety of backgrounds, and those struggling with various mental health concerns. I am passionate about working with trauma survivors, and also have expertise in addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and insomnia. I am trained in a variety of Evidenced Based Therapies, to include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), CBT for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), CBT for Depression (CBT-D), and CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I).
In our first session, we would create a timeline of sorts. We would explore when symptoms first started and how/when they changed over the course of your life. We would then narrow down our focus to your biggest concerns over the past few months to help guide our decision-making as we explore various treatment options.
I am patient and like to present a "menu" of options to help you determine what is best for you. You are the best expert on you; I view my role in your journey as someone who gets to help you add tools to your tool box. We work together to give you a strong foundation, and the confidence to handle just about anything that life throws at you.
Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain? Not sure where to go or what to do? Struggling with how to cope? Therapy can empower you to find the answers. I use a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help patients reconnect with personal values, such as self-reliance and courage, and ensure they begin to live life on their terms again. In our work together, you will learn how to identify and challenge negative thoughts that are impacting the quality of your life, gain tools to cope with distressing emotions, and learn how to incorporate healthy and adaptive behaviors. Services are also likely to emphasize interpersonal relationships. While we can only work on changing the person in the room (YOU), you will learn strategies to make healthy adjustments to your relationships. I strive to give you the tools to achieve balance in your life, and help you feel confident to navigate anything that life throws at you. I recognize that therapy can feel like a risk; it can feel terrifying to let someone in and be vulnerable. However, change is possible. Your symptoms are both treatable and manageable, with the right tools. I hope that you are willing to take a chance (not a risk) to learn new skills and strategies to achieve balance in your mind and your life.
I come from a primarily CBT background, which means that we would work together to target negative thoughts that are increasing your overall distress. We would also work to implement adaptive behaviors that would improve your mood. Specific evidenced based therapies I am trained in include those for trauma (CPT, PE, and STAIR), insomnia (CBT-I), depression (CBT-D and IPT-D), as well as chronic pain (CBT-CP).
CBT-I focuses on reshaping your relationship with sleep. You would be provided with tools to consolidate your sleep so that you fall asleep quicker, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling more refreshed. We would use a sleep diary to more effectively track your progress and quality of sleep.
CPT targets distressing thoughts related to a traumatic event that are keeping you "stuck." CPT strategies would help you get "unstuck" so you can begin to live life on your own terms, rather than having trauma symptoms dictate day-to-day life.
CBT for chronic pain (CBT-CP) uses therapeutic skills to reshape your relationship with chronic pain. We would address tools to help you reconnect with the things that matter most in life, rather than having your brain/thoughts be dominated by your pain experience.
Interpersonal therapy for depression (IPT-D) can be helpful at reducing depressive symptoms in 1 of 4 main domains: grief, role transitions, interpersonal disputes, and isolation. This treatment would emphasizing processing your feelings, helping you make major life decisions, and improve communication strategies.