My clients would describe me as attentive, empathetic and personable. I have 12 years of experience and have worked with juveniles, people with disabilities, mental health and addiction. I like to chalenge my clients as change is uncomfortable but necessary. I am bilingual in Spanish and English. I am genuinely a curious person, so getting to know you is exciting for me.
I prefer for my first session with clients to be more casual than formal. I will ask you basic questions to gather some background information about you. These questions will mirror some of the questions on your intake form. The main goal of this session is to get to know each other. You can ask me questions too. You can share as little or as much as you want. I also like to discuss what your goals are for therapy as getting an idea of what your expectations and aspirations are is what drives your therapy sessions.
I myself have experienced trauma along with grief and loss. I acquired a disability at the young age of 13 so I learned to grow and mature much sooner in life. I combine what I have learned in school with what life and real experience in the field has taught me. Bottome line I have learned-- we are all human and as humans we make mistakes. As humans, we can also have difficulty managing our thoughts, feelings and behaviors, which are all complex and multi-layered. I also like to use humor during my sessions, even if I come off a little dorky. At the end of the day, I am myself during your sessions and I encourage my clients to see me as a person first, so that we can establish a real therapeutic relationship.
Therapy can be hard. Regardless of what brought you here, know that I am here to listen and assist. You are the driver and we will move at your speed. I will challenge you along the way and encourage you to be flexible. I want you to take yourself seriously and commit to frank conversations. I want you to learn to hold yourself accountable. I want you to learn about self-compassion, self-care and the importance of boundaries within your relationships. Overall, I want a client who wants to make changes.
You will learn to recognize and challenge irrational thoughts, feelings and behaviors.