(he/him)
New to Grow
I’m someone who cares about real connection, steady progress, and creating a space where you can show up as yourself. I’ve spent years helping people sort through heavy thoughts, navigate big life changes, and rebuild a sense of direction. My approach is collaborative, practical, and values-driven. I bring structure when it’s helpful and loosen it when you’re ready to lead. My communication style is calm, warm, and straightforward — I make space for you to speak freely, slow down, or dig deeper when you’re ready. My background spans community mental health, integrated primary care, and work with people navigating some of life’s harder edges — chronic illness, trauma, and major life transitions. I’ve worked alongside people at a lot of different starting points, and that shapes how I show up: without assumptions, and without a one-size-fits-all approach.
The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin building a strong therapeutic foundation. We will talk about what brings you to therapy, the challenges you are currently facing, and what you hope to gain from the process. I also spend time learning about your personal history, relationships, strengths, and any patterns that may be contributing to stress or emotional difficulty. My approach is collaborative, conversational, and nonjudgmental. You do not need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. The first session is less about “performing” and more about creating a space where you can speak openly, feel understood, and begin identifying meaningful goals for our work together. We will also discuss practical details such as scheduling, treatment goals, and what therapy may look like moving forward.
My strengths as a therapist include building genuine, trusting relationships with clients and creating a space that feels both supportive and honest. I strive to balance empathy with thoughtful challenge, helping clients feel understood while also encouraging meaningful growth and change. Clients often appreciate my ability to notice deeper emotional and behavioral patterns, ask reflective questions, and connect practical coping strategies to larger themes such as values, identity, relationships, and purpose. I am also a lifelong learner who is continually expanding my knowledge through ongoing education, reflection, and exploration of evolving therapeutic approaches. I value staying curious and adaptable so I can better meet the diverse needs of the people I work with. Rather than relying on a rigid or one-size-fits-all model, I tailor therapy to each client’s goals, preferences, personality, and pace. Some clients benefit from structured skill-building and practical strategies, while others are looking for deeper insight, emotional processing, or exploratory conversation. My approach is flexible, collaborative, and grounded in helping clients feel both understood and empowered throughout the therapeutic process.
I am best positioned to serve thoughtful, self-aware clients who may feel stuck in longstanding patterns, overwhelmed by anxiety or stress, navigating life transitions, or struggling with self-criticism, burnout, or disconnection from their values. I work well with people who want more than symptom relief alone and are interested in understanding the deeper patterns shaping their emotions, relationships, behaviors, and decisions. Many of the clients I work best with are motivated for change but may feel conflicted, discouraged, or uncertain about how to move forward. I aim to help clients build greater clarity, flexibility, self-awareness, and alignment between their actions and the kind of life they want to create.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use ACT to help clients build a different relationship with difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences rather than getting stuck fighting them. My approach focuses on psychological flexibility, values clarification, mindfulness, and committed action. In practice, I often use metaphors, experiential exercises, and pattern exploration to help clients move toward lives that feel more meaningful and aligned with who they want to be.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT collaboratively to help clients identify patterns between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Rather than simply “challenging negative thoughts,” I focus on helping clients examine the usefulness, origins, and consequences of beliefs while developing more adaptive coping strategies. I often integrate behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and practical skill-building in a grounded, real-world way.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
My approach is deeply influenced by person-centered therapy and the belief that meaningful change grows through authenticity, empathy, and a strong therapeutic relationship. I aim to create a space where clients feel genuinely heard, respected, and emotionally safe. I balance warmth and acceptance with curiosity and gentle challenge, helping clients explore themselves with greater clarity and self-compassion.
Motivational Interviewing
I use Motivational Interviewing to help clients explore ambivalence and strengthen intrinsic motivation for change. My style is nonjudgmental, collaborative, and autonomy-supportive. I focus on asking thoughtful questions, reflecting patterns, and helping clients connect behavior changes to their deeper values and goals rather than relying on pressure or shame-based motivation.