New to Grow
I am a compassionate, down-to-earth therapist who believes that healing begins with understanding and acceptance. My approach is rooted in empathy, authenticity, and collaboration. I work with individuals and couples to help them navigate life’s challenges, heal from past experiences, and move toward the kind of life and relationships they want to build. I strive to create a space where clients feel safe, seen, and supported as they explore their emotions and work through what’s keeping them stuck. I have experience supporting clients through anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, and periods of major life transition. My goal is to empower each client to connect more deeply with themselves, gain clarity, and make intentional choices that align with their values and long-term well-being.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session is about getting to know each other and laying the groundwork for our work together. I’ll invite you to share what brings you to therapy, what you hope to gain, and what has or hasn’t worked for you in the past. This is also your opportunity to ask questions and get a sense of my style to make sure you feel comfortable moving forward. I view therapy as a partnership, and I want you to feel that you are an active part of your own healing process. During our first meeting, we’ll explore your goals and begin identifying the patterns or obstacles that may be holding you back. My goal is for you to leave that first session feeling heard, understood, and hopeful about the path ahead. I understand that starting therapy can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time or if past experiences have been difficult. I approach each session with empathy, patience, and curiosity, meeting you exactly where you are.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths lie in creating a warm, safe, and supportive environment where clients feel genuinely cared for and respected. I integrate several evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), depending on each client’s needs. I also incorporate mindfulness and body-based techniques, such as Polyvagal-informed strategies, to help clients regulate their nervous system and feel more grounded in their bodies. I am passionate about helping people uncover the connections between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and guiding them toward healthier, more compassionate ways of thinking and responding. For clients who have experienced trauma, I provide a structured yet gentle approach to help them process difficult memories, identify core beliefs, and begin to heal from the inside out. With couples, I use tools like the five love languages to help partners identify how they give and receive love, as well as how to prevent emotional misunderstandings that can lead to distance or hurt. My focus is always on fostering understanding, communication, and emotional safety within the relationship. Clients often tell me they appreciate my calm, approachable presence and my ability to make difficult topics feel easier to explore. I bring both professional skill and genuine care to every session, helping clients move toward lasting growth, stronger relationships, and a more meaningful life.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My ideal clients are people who are ready to make positive changes in their lives, even if they are unsure where to start. Many of my clients come to me feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or burdened by self-doubt, past trauma, or unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior. They may be seeking a stronger sense of purpose, more fulfilling relationships, or simply a way to feel more at peace within themselves. I also enjoy working with couples who want to better understand each other and strengthen their emotional connection. Whether it’s learning to communicate more effectively, rebuilding trust, or rediscovering what brought them together in the first place, I help partners create a foundation of understanding and respect. My clients often share a common desire for personal growth and authenticity. They are people who want to break free from old cycles, learn new ways of coping, and move toward living with more intention and joy. Together, we focus on developing self-awareness, emotional balance, and practical tools for lasting change.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients build psychological flexibility and focus on living in line with their values. In my practice, I guide clients to notice and accept their thoughts and feelings instead of struggling with them, using mindfulness and values-based exercises. Together, we choose actions that align with their values and move them toward the life they want to build and live, even in the presence of discomfort or uncertainty.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and challenge cognitive distortions and unhelpful thinking patterns that contribute to emotional distress. In my practice, I work with clients to recognize how their thoughts influence their feelings and behaviors, and together we develop more balanced and realistic ways of thinking. This process helps clients gain insight, reduce negative self-talk, and build healthier coping strategies for daily challenges.
Polyvagal Therapy
I use Polyvagal Therapy to help clients understand and regulate their nervous system responses. In my practice, I incorporate body-based techniques that stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the rest and digest state, which is the opposite of the fight, flight, or freeze response. Through behavioral activation and grounding exercises, clients learn to calm their bodies, increase feelings of safety, and improve emotional regulation.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to help clients understand and process traumatic experiences. In my practice, I assist clients in creating a trauma timeline to organize and make sense of their adverse experiences. Together, we explore and map the beliefs that formed as a result of those events, identifying patterns that may be unhelpful or distorted. Through this process, clients learn to challenge and reframe those beliefs, allowing them to reduce distress and develop a more balanced and compassionate view of themselves and the world.
Couples Counseling
In couples counseling, I use the concept of love languages to help partners strengthen their connection and improve communication. I guide couples in identifying their own and each other's love languages and exploring ways to express love in ways that feel meaningful to both partners. We also discuss how misunderstandings can occur when love languages differ and how to prevent emotional hurt that can happen when a partner’s needs are unintentionally overlooked. This approach helps couples build empathy, deepen emotional intimacy, and create healthier relationship patterns.