LCSW, 20 years of experience
Hi! I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California. I received my Masters from California State University, Long Beach and have been an adult therapist with-in Behavioral Health for over 15 years. I help adults and older adults struggling with phase of life transitions, family and marriage issues as well as parents challenged with raising children and experiencing post-partum depression.
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, review history, explain how therapy works and expand on specific challenges you're facing. This will help us develop goals for treatment and a plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions.
Having a wealth of experience working with adults facing life challenges and being a wife and mother I feel are strengths. However, being honest, relatable, direct and challenging when needed have been my greatest strengths as a therapist.
I love working with new mom's who struggle with post-partum depression and anxiety with emphasis on reducing guilt, self doubt and shame. I also enjoy career counseling and how to manage employee stress and burnout by learning to make self a priority, have more work life balance and overall improved quality of life.
I utilize the CBT method of treatment in my practice on a regular basis to aid in challenging distorted and irrational thoughts. The use of various practice skills as homework and role playing during sessions are also helpful tools in learning how to practice shifting the mind from negative to positive thinking and behaviors.
I find that Solution Focused Brief Treatment is most effective with problem solving issues in the present for immediate change. This is achieve by exploration, observation and goal directed approaches towards evoking change in life today.
The use of Positive Psychology incorporates focusing on your strengths, resilience, quality of life and happiness. Showing gratitude for what we have versus what is lacking. Learning to appreciate and show grace to aid in shifting to a more positive outlook on life. I also like to incorporate the use of Mindfulness techniques in this treatment method, which is the act of being in the moment free of judgement.
The use of DBT provides more of a skilled based approach to improving interpersonal relationships, reducing stress responses, manage emotional dysregulations and how to be in the moment. This treatment method is most effective by practicing the skills on a daily basis.
I enjoy providing Strength-Based treatment as apart of my practice as it works well with Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Positive Psychology as it focuses on your inner strengths and builds on them versus focusing on deficits.