(she/her)
New to Grow
As a social worker for over 25 years I have assisted clients in identifying goals and adapting skills based on their strengths to help them move forward. Using compassionate, strength and solution focused methods along with humor, grace and persistence I motivate clients in learning skills to decrease their struggle and increase their ability to thrive in any situation they find themselves.
You may have many challenges competing for attention and first sessions are about identifying the one challenge with the most impact on your life in the moment. Starting with brainstorming to identify the challenge requiring immediate attention and creating achievable steps providing you with a starting point towards feeling strong and skillful in meeting your challenges .
I am often reminded by others that compassion and grace are a big part of my practice. I utilized a mix of approaches along with humor, willingness to think outside the box, and embracing mindfulness in guiding clients towards their goals. I engage with clients through questions, periods of quiet and practicing skills together in an effort to support their success. I work best when the client is motivated to make changes, though do understand that it may take a few sessions. I often tell clients that if I poke an issue they don't want to address it in the moment I will let it go for a bit and then return to poke again gently to encourage the client in meeting that particular issue. Compassion is key in doing this work, change is hard, challenges can be overwhelming, persistence along with grace guide people towards their inner strength.
Life can be a challenging for you increasing stress, frustration and creating 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 your identifying 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 those 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.
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.