Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

In our first 50-minute session, we’ll start with a warm welcome and a quick review of confidentiality, my no-show policy, and my 48-business-hour response window. Next, you’ll share your story—what brings you to therapy, what you’ve already tried, and how you want life to feel when treatment is working. As you talk, I’ll listen for patterns, strengths, spiritual values, and any safety concerns so we can shape clear priorities together. From there we’ll co-create a brief roadmap, translating your hopes into one or two concrete starter goals—for example, trimming daily panic spikes from five to two or setting firmer after-hours boundaries at work. I’ll explain the tools we might use (CBT thought logs, DBT emotion-regulation, solution-focused scaling) and answer questions. Before we wrap up, you’ll take away a simple practice skill—such as a grounding exercise or a strengths inventory—to try between sessions. You’ll leave with a clear direction, a first coping tool, and a sense of whether my style feels right for you; if not, I’m happy to offer referrals because the therapeutic fit matters most.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

Evidence + flexibility. I bring nine years of CBT expertise for cognitive restructuring, but I don’t stop there. DBT adds emotion-regulation muscle, strength-based therapy highlights what’s already working, and solution-focused questions keep us oriented toward rapid, realistic change—never therapy for therapy’s sake. Skill-building focus. Insight without action can feel good and change little. Every session ends with a bite-sized, tailor-made practice task (e.g., a two-minute “thought → feeling → action” worksheet, a boundary script to test at work, a gratitude scan before bed). Clients report that these micro-assignments fast-track progress and make therapy cost-effective. Faith-sensitive integration. For those who want it, Christian counseling principles—hope, grace, stewardship—are seamlessly blended with clinical techniques, providing a holistic path that honors both mental health and spiritual growth. For clients who prefer a secular lens, we simply focus on psychological science; the choice is entirely yours. Tele-health convenience, human connection. You log in from home, office, or a parked car—yet the video room feels personal. I use a light-hearted, non-judgmental tone, occasional humor, and visual aids (shared whiteboards, screen-shared worksheets) to keep sessions engaging. Measurable outcomes. Together we track symptom scales or self-defined markers (sleep hours, conflict frequency, mood ratings). Seeing numbers shift reinforces motivation and tells us when to pivot methods. Inclusive, bilingual care. Growing up in a bicultural environment taught me to respect varied worldviews. Whether we converse in English or Spanish—or switch mid-sentence—you’ll be met with cultural humility and curiosity. Rapid response within boundaries. Clients appreciate knowing I answer portal messages within 48 business hours, providing timely yet sustainable support. In crises, clear safety protocols (988, 911, same-day referrals) ensure you’re never left guessing. Results clients mention most: -Lower daily anxiety from “constantly buzzing” to “occasional blips.” -Clearer, calmer communication with partners and family. -Renewed confidence in career shifts or graduate-school returns. -Deeper alignment between faith and mental-health practices. If you’re ready for collaborative, skill-rich, culturally sensitive therapy, I’d be honored to partner with you in turning insight into lasting change.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

Life-transition navigators. You may be changing careers, ending a relationship, becoming a new parent, or adjusting to an empty nest. Transitions are fertile ground for anxiety and self-doubt; I help you transform that uncertainty into clear next steps and a revitalized sense of purpose. High-functioning worriers. Many of my clients appear successful from the outside yet wrestle with relentless internal pressure, imposter syndrome, or perfectionism. We’ll use CBT thought tracking, mindfulness micro-practices, and strengths mapping to quiet the “inner critic” and boost self-compassion without sacrificing drive. Faith-integrated seekers. If spirituality is central to your identity, I can incorporate biblical principles—prayer, forgiveness models, hope-centered reframing—into evidence-based therapy, always letting you set the level of faith dialogue that feels right. Relationship & boundary builders. Whether you’re untangling family-of-origin patterns, healing after betrayal, or simply learning to say “no” without guilt, we’ll combine DBT interpersonal skills with real-world role-plays to cultivate assertiveness, healthier attachment, and satisfying connection. Resilience relearners. Clients with a trauma history (single event or chronic) often feel hijacked by old memories or hyper-vigilance. Together we’ll stabilize first—grounding, emotional-regulation, sleep hygiene—then gently re-author the narrative so trauma becomes a chapter rather than the entire story. Outcome-oriented learners. If you value tangible progress, you'll appreciate my habit of assigning brief, personalized practice tasks—thought records, “behavioral experiments,” strengths journaling—that accelerate change between sessions and make therapy time-efficient.