Licensed to practice in California and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Self Esteem and 6 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
Hello, my name is Kathy and I am a LCSW. I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and learning about them. I am an integrated counselor and use different modalities to create an individualized approach to my work. I have been working as a counselor for about 4 years and I am privileged to do this type of work.
During our first session, we will review any necessary paperwork or administrative issues. Then we will spend some time discussing why you are seeking behavioral health services and how best to support your goals. We will discuss the modalities I utilize and if they would be a good fit for you. We will also discuss what to expect from treatment and create a treatment plan.
I consider myself a relational counselor. I believe in being my authentic self while holding a professional space. I believe in establishing a therapeutic rapport with my clients where they feel comfortable doing the same. I come from a background in Child Welfare and I have heard and seen many challenging situations in my life, and I hope to create a space where my clients feel comfortable being honest about their thoughts, feelings and experiences.
I do not have an ideal client. I find it helpful when clients are motivated and open-minded; I can also work with those who are not. I find it helpful when clients are honest about what works well for them and what does not. I also appreciate clients who are curious and ask questions. I appreciate clients who can tell me if my style or approach is not working for them.
I use a Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modality to help individuals identify, track and re-frame challenging thoughts patterns and behaviors that are creating disruption in their life. Mindfulness is used as a tool to help the individual relax their nervous system and ultimately improve their ability to think and process more clearly and thoughtfully.
I use a Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) modality to help individuals identify, track and re-frame challenging thoughts patterns and behaviors that are creating disruption in their life specific to traumatic experiences endured by the individual. Mindfulness is used as a tool to help the individual relax their nervous system and ultimately improve their ability to think and process more clearly and regulate their nervous system. This therapy approach focuses on the specific impact and effect of the trauma, education about the effects of trauma and how it may influence thoughts and behaviors. This modality emphasizes the feeling of mental, emotional and physical safety.
I practice Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help individuals to treat a wide range of issues from anxiety, depression, self-esteem, abuse, panic, grief/loss, etc. EMDR focuses on the negative thoughts and physical feelings an individual experiences when they think of particular events and memories in their life, both "large" and seemingly "small" life events can be explored with EMDR. EMDR uses alternating left-to-right sensory input; in my practice I use finger or "wand" tracking specifically. The "Assessment" phase will help the individual and clinician to identify if EMDR is appropriate for the individual. I also use a similar and less intrusive method called Flash. I may recommend Flash for an individual seeking EMDR or use a combination of both.
I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) techniques both with individuals (Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy, EFIT) and couples (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, EFCT). EFIT helps the individual to learn about their own attachment style and emotional needs, and then healthy ways to meet these needs and communicate them with others in their life. EFCT treats the couple's relationship as the "client" and helps the couple to de-escalate conflict, identify challenging communication patterns, and learn new ways to understand the needs of the other individual and to ultimately strengthen the relationship.
I use a Feminist approach to help individuals learn about the connection between their individual mental health, social, political and cultural inequalities and how this influences their identity and self-esteem.