New to Grow
Having been married for 50 years and raised four children to adulthood, I bring a wealth of life experience to the therapeutic relationship. There are so many challenges with marriage and raising a family, undergoing therapy myself (both individual and couple) has helped me through many difficult times, and I know what it takes make significant changes in my life. I love animals, and i have two dogs who bring me joy every day. My children and seven grandchildren are very important to my life. One of the benefits of being an older therapist is that I have overcome many of the obstacles that my clients face, and for even those I have not experienced, my clients benefit from the life skills I have developed.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we will get to know one another. We will discuss what you enjoy doing, your strengths, and what will help you feel safe/comfortable as we develop our therapeutic relationship. We will discuss what brings you to therapy, how you have coped in the past, how long you have been facing the issues, how you imagine therapy helping you, and what changes you hope to instill in your life. We will discuss our roles and expectations of each other.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I bring welcoming, warm, non-judgmental atmosphere to the therapeutic relationship, and the therapeutic methods I have adopted support that. Setting goals together, and seeing small, realistic, incremental improvements help my clients begin to improve their self-esteem and start to enhance their lives. From there, the reasons for therapy and longer-term goals and the can be addressed.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best equipped to serve young parents, those experiencing marital issues, life transitions, grief, depression and crises. In particular, clients who have experienced trauma and have ongoing anxiety with the goal of decreasing episodes have benefitted from working with me. My clients develop specific goals for coping, resulting in mindfulness and decreased stress/anxiety. In addition to focusing on goals and outcomes, together we create direction with small shifts that lead to meaningful change.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Because Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is goal oriented, I assist clients in managing their mental health, by taking a close look at thoughts and emotions and how they affect behavior/actions. Through CBT, I guide clients in unlearning negative thoughts and behaviors and incorporate healthier thinking patterns and habits into their lifes.
Motivational Interviewing
In my practice, Motivational Interviewing is collaborative and person-centered. I help my clients to strengthen their own motivation and commitment to change. As partners, together we explore and resolve ambivalence, recognizing how current, problematic behaviors conflict with values and future goals.
Adlerian
In this short-term, goal oriented therapy, I assist clients to overcome feelings of inferiority, build social interest and foster a sense of belonging. The four phases include Engagement, Assessment, Insight, Insight and Reorientation. We build a collaborative relationship, explore early memories/family dynamics, interpret current lifestyle/behaviors, and take action toward new goals.