New to Grow
I’m a compassionate and experienced mental health professional dedicated to helping clients navigate life’s challenges and achieve personal growth. I specialize in evidence-based therapies, including CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed approaches, and work collaboratively to support emotional well-being, improve coping skills, and strengthen relationships. My approach is warm, nonjudgmental, and tailored to each individual’s unique needs. I look forward to our work together.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we’ll take the time to get to know each other and understand what brings you to therapy. You can expect a supportive and nonjudgmental space where we’ll discuss your current challenges, goals, and any past experiences that may be relevant. I’ll ask questions to get a clear picture of your needs, and together we’ll begin to identify strategies and steps to help you feel more in control, manage your emotions, and work toward the changes you want to see in your life.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What stands out about my therapeutic approach is that it’s collaborative, practical, and tailored to each client’s unique needs. I draw from evidence-based methods like CBT, DBT, and mindfulness to help clients build coping skills, regulate emotions, and make meaningful changes in their lives. I emphasize real-world application, so the strategies we work on in session can be used immediately in daily life. Clients often notice improvements in their ability to manage stress, communicate effectively, and gain clarity on their goals, which supports lasting personal growth.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work best with clients who are motivated to explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a supportive and structured environment. I am well-suited to serve individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, or difficulties managing emotions and stress. My approach is especially helpful for those seeking to develop healthier coping strategies, improve communication, and work toward meaningful personal growth and positive change.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
In practice, I use CBT by first helping clients identify negative automatic thoughts—for example, beliefs like “I always fail” or “Nobody cares about me.” Once these thoughts are recognized, we work together to challenge them using evidence-based techniques, such as evaluating the evidence for and against the thought, considering alternative perspectives, and experimenting with behavioral changes to test new ways of thinking.
Structural Family Therapy
In practice, I use SFT by first mapping the family structure, identifying roles, subsystems (like parental, sibling, or spousal subsystems), boundaries (rigid, diffuse, or healthy), and patterns of interaction that maintain conflict or dysfunction. This allows me to see how problems are maintained at the family level, rather than solely within the individual.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
In practice, I use DBT by integrating its core components: Mindfulness: I guide clients in learning to stay present, observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment, and reduce impulsive reactions. Mindfulness skills are foundational because they help clients notice patterns before acting on them. Distress Tolerance: I teach clients tools to survive crises without making things worse, such as distraction techniques, self-soothing strategies, and radical acceptance. This is particularly useful for clients who struggle with anxiety, anger, or overwhelming situations. Emotion Regulation: I work with clients to identify and label emotions, understand the functions of emotions, and apply strategies to reduce vulnerability to intense negative feelings. This includes building routines, reducing substance use, and practicing opposite action. Interpersonal Effectiveness: I help clients assert themselves, set boundaries, and maintain relationships while balancing their own needs with others’. This includes teaching skills like DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST for effective communication. Chain Analysis and Behavior Change: For clients with self-harm or high-risk behaviors, I guide them in analyzing the sequence of events, thoughts, and emotions leading to the behavior and developing alternative coping strategies. I often use individual sessions to process real-life challenges and apply skills, and I encourage homework and skills practice between sessions. DBT works well in combination with group skills training or psychoeducation to reinforce learning. In my practice, I’ve seen DBT be especially effective for clients with borderline personality traits, trauma histories, anxiety, and mood disorders, helping them increase emotional resilience and improve their quality of life.