Licensed to practice in 2 states and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSD and 10 more.
(she/her)
For more than 25 years as a social worker, I have had the privilege of walking alongside individuals as they identify their strengths, clarify their goals, and build the skills needed to create meaningful change. Over the years, I have learned that growth rarely happens in a straight line. It often begins with small steps, honest conversations, and the willingness to try something new. I believe every person has the capacity for growth, even during life’s most difficult seasons, and that healing is possible when people feel supported, respected, and understood. My approach is compassionate, strengths-based, and solution-focused. I blend evidence-based practices with humor, grace, and gentle persistence to help clients move toward the life they want. In our work together, we will focus on what is already working, identify patterns that may be getting in the way, and develop practical coping skills that fit your unique needs and values. I strive to create a supportive, collaborative space where you can speak openly, explore challenges without judgment, and feel encouraged to keep moving forward, even when progress feels slow. I also believe therapy should be both practical and empowering. Together, we will look for creative solutions, build resilience, and strengthen your confidence in handling whatever comes your way. Change is not always easy, but you do not have to navigate it alone. My goal is to help you reduce your struggles, reconnect with your strengths, and discover the tools you need not just to cope, but to thrive in your daily life and relationships. Whether you are facing stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, or a major life transition, I will meet you where you are and work with you at a pace that feels manageable, hopeful, and grounded in your strengths so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin understanding what has brought you to therapy. I want this time to feel welcoming, collaborative, and low pressure. You do not need to arrive with the perfect words, a clear plan, or a fully formed understanding of what is wrong. Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or pulled in several directions at once. That is completely okay. In our first meeting, we will slow things down together so we can begin making sense of what feels most important right now. You may have several challenges competing for your attention, and we do not have to solve everything at once. In fact, trying to address too much too quickly can sometimes make things feel even more overwhelming. Instead, we will work together to identify the concern that is having the greatest impact on your life in the present moment. That might be anxiety that is making it hard to focus, stress that is affecting your sleep, relationship concerns that are leaving you feeling disconnected, or a life transition that has shaken your sense of stability. Whatever brings you in, we will begin by looking at what feels most urgent, most painful, or most disruptive so we can create a starting point that feels manageable. During this first session, I will ask questions to help me understand your experiences, your strengths, and what you hope to gain from therapy. We may talk about what has been happening recently, what patterns you have noticed over time, what has helped in the past, and what has made things harder. I may also ask about your support system, your daily routines, and any coping strategies you already use. This is not about judging you or rushing to conclusions. It is about gathering enough information to begin building a picture of your needs so we can shape therapy in a way that fits you. I believe that every person brings important insight into their own life, and I want to make space for your perspective from the very beginning. Together, we will brainstorm practical, achievable steps that give you a place to start. These steps may be small, but small steps can be powerful when they are chosen thoughtfully and aligned with your goals. We might identify one habit to strengthen, one boundary to practice, one coping skill to try, or one situation to approach differently. The goal is not to overwhelm you with a long list of changes. The goal is to help you leave the session with something concrete, realistic, and useful that can support you between appointments. I want therapy to feel like a process of building momentum, not a test you have to pass. I also want you to know that your first session is not expected to answer everything. It is the beginning of a process, not the final word on what you need. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do in the first meeting is simply clarify where to begin. Once we have identified that starting point, we can continue to build from there in a way that feels steady and supportive. Therapy often works best when we allow room for curiosity, reflection, and gradual change rather than expecting immediate transformation. My role is to help you move forward in a way that feels grounded and sustainable. As we begin working together, I will focus on your strengths as much as your struggles. Even when life feels difficult, you have likely already developed ways of coping, surviving, and adapting. Those strengths matter. They may not always feel obvious, especially if you have been carrying a lot for a long time, but they are part of what will help you move toward healing. In our first session, I will pay attention to what has helped you endure, what gives you hope, and what qualities you already possess that can support change. Therapy is not about fixing something broken. It is about helping you reconnect with your ability to respond to life with more confidence, clarity, and skill. My goal is for you to leave your first session with greater clarity, a sense of direction, and the confidence that meaningful change is possible. That may mean leaving with a better understanding of what is contributing to your distress, a few ideas for how to begin addressing it, or simply the relief of feeling heard and understood. Sometimes the most important outcome of a first session is realizing that you do not have to carry everything alone. Being able to speak openly in a safe, supportive space can be an important first step toward feeling stronger and more capable. Therapy is a process, and we will move at a pace that feels manageable while working together toward your goals. Some sessions may focus on problem-solving and skill-building. Others may involve reflection, processing, or simply making space for what you are feeling. Over time, we will continue to adjust our work based on what is most helpful for you. I believe in meeting clients where they are and helping them move forward with compassion, persistence, and grace. Change can be challenging, but it becomes more possible when you have support, structure, and a plan that fits your life. If you are coming to therapy feeling unsure, hesitant, or even a little nervous, that is okay too. Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially if you have been trying to manage things on your own for a long time. My hope is that your first session will help ease some of that uncertainty by giving you a sense of what working together can look like. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. You only need to show up as you are. From there, we can begin identifying what matters most, exploring what is getting in the way, and taking the first steps toward feeling more grounded, capable, and supported.
If we work together, one of the first things you will probably notice is that I lead with compassion. Clients often tell me they feel comfortable being themselves in our sessions, and that matters deeply to me. I want therapy to be a place where you do not have to perform, impress, or have everything figured out before we meet. You get to show up exactly as you are. My goal is to create a space where you can breathe a little easier, and feel safe enough to be honest about what is really going on. I believe healing begins when you no longer have to hide the parts of yourself that feel messy, tender, or hard to explain, and when people feel accepted rather than judged, they are sometimes able to explore themselves with honesty, curiosity, and self-compassion. I also believe the relationship we build is one of the most important parts of therapy. My role is not to tell you how to live your life or to hand you a list of answers. I see myself as someone who walks alongside you while you make sense of your experiences, your patterns, your pain, and your strengths. I will ask questions, listen closely, sit with you in the hard moments, and make room for silence when words are hard to find. Sometimes we will practice skills together so that what we talk about in session can actually feel useful in your everyday life. I want our work to feel collaborative, practical, and deeply human. That means we can talk about the big emotional pieces and also pay attention to the small, everyday changes that help life feel more manageable. No two people are the same, I draw from a variety of approaches and tailor our work to fit you.. I may bring in mindfulness, practical coping strategies, and evidence-based techniques, but I also pay attention to what feels natural and meaningful for you as a person. Slowing down and getting curious about what is happening underneath the surface, focusing on concrete tools that help you get through the week, or noticing the stories you tell yourself and gently challenging the ones that are keeping you stuck. I also believe healing does not have to be serious every minute of every session. Sometimes humor is exactly what is needed. Sometimes the most helpful thing is simply to pause, take a breath, and notice what is happening in the present moment. I want therapy to feel flexible enough to meet you where you are and intentional enough to help you move toward where you want to be. I appreciate working with people who are ready to make changes, but I also know that readiness is not always immediate or steady. You may know something needs to shift and still feel scared to let go of familiar patterns, even when those patterns are painful. That is completely human. I do not expect you to arrive in therapy with perfect motivation or total clarity. Part of the work is often helping you build that clarity over time. We move at a pace that feels manageable while still keeping your goals in sight. Growth is rarely linear, I respect that it can take time to trust the process. Sometimes progress looks like a breakthrough, and sometimes it looks like showing up again after a hard week. Both matter. Both count. I believe that steady, compassionate effort can create meaningful change, even when that change happens in small steps rather than dramatic leaps. One thing clients often hear me say is that if I gently poke at something and you are not ready to go there, I will let it rest. I will not force the issue or push you past what feels safe. Chances are, I will come back to it later, with curiosity, kindness, and respect. Not because I am trying to pressure you, but because I have learned that the places we avoid are often the places where healing is waiting. My job is to help you feel supported enough to face those challenges when you are ready, never before. I want you to know that we can move gently and still move forward. I believe that real change happens when people feel both safe and encouraged, both accepted and gently challenged. That balance allows us to stay connected even when the work gets uncomfortable, it helps create the kind of trust that makes deeper healing possible. I believe compassion and accountability can exist together. I will celebrate your progress, encourage you when things feel difficult, and gently challenge you when I think you are capable of more than you believe. I do not see accountability as criticism. I see it as a way of honoring your potential and helping you stay connected to the goals that matter to you. Change is hard. Life can be overwhelming. But I have also seen people discover incredible strength when they are given a safe place to grow, reflect, and try again. I believe people are often more resilient than they realize, especially when they are met with patience instead of judgment. Whatever brought you here, I want to meet you with respect and care. You do not have to earn compassion with me. You do not have to prove that your pain is serious enough or your goals are clear enough. If you are struggling, feeling stuck, or hoping for more peace, clarity, or confidence in your life, that is enough reason to begin. My hope is that you will leave our sessions feeling heard, understood, and a little more connected to your own inner strength than when we meet. I want therapy to be a place where you can reconnect with parts of yourself that may have been buried under stress, self-doubt, grief, fear, or exhaustion. I want you to feel more able to trust yourself, more willing to care for yourself, and more confident in your ability to face what comes next.
Life can be a challenge with increasing stress, frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed. Working together we will name the challenges impacting your life and define achievable goals for the coming weeks or months to work through those challenges. Acknowledging that change can be hard, I will motivate you in identifying your current inner strengths and how best to use them to meet those challenges. As a team we will review skills and techniques to support or enhance your strengths then practice them together while remembering that compassion for ourselves is important to our growth and development. Team YOU will be our focus using assessments, check-ins and open conversations regarding treatment and goals to ensure that you are receiving care tailored to your needs.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have been using aspects of CBT therapy with people for several years to provide relief from anxiety and negative thoughts. Collaborating with you on how your thoughts and feelings impact your daily life and skills to improve thought patterns and increase relaxation and decrease stress.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have used this with people who are experiencing anger, low frustration tolerance, reactivity to emotions, conflict within relationships and mood swings. Together we identify where these experiences are impacting your life and uncover ways to decrease negative reactions, decrease stress, and improve relationships.
Eclectic
Often people don't match one specific therapeutic method and a combination of methods work best. Treatment is collaborative and gives the you more say in what skills and methods match your mental health needs.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I often use mindfulness at the beginning of sessions providing a way for you to settle into the session and provide the opportunity for focus on the work.
Motivational Interviewing
I have utilized this with clients for the last 7 years to work collaboratively with you to engage your internal motivation to change.