LPC, 12 years of experience
New to Grow
In a world that is constantly changing, it can be difficult to keep a pace that feels comfortable and productive. If you have reached a point where old coping skills no longer work, are looking to find healthier ways to cope with life challenges, or are struggling to figure out where to start, we are here and ready to help. Embarking on the therapeutic journey is an important life decision and finding a therapist whose expertise fits your needs is just as vital. Therapy is a collaborative process, and I would like to work with you to achieve your goals by helping you cultivate self-awareness, identify personal strengths, and gain new perspectives. I have a passion for working with clients experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem, complex trauma, career/life transitions, PTSD, and depression.
Starting counseling can feel like a big step, and it’s normal to feel nervous or unsure about what to expect. Your first session is really about getting to know each other in a safe, supportive space. We’ll begin with some simple introductions and a chance for you to share what brought you to therapy. You don’t need to have everything figured out or know exactly what to say. Know that the session moves at your pace, and you’re always in control of what you choose to share. I’ll ask a few gentle questions to better understand your background, what you’d like to work on, and what your goals might be. This isn’t a test, it’s just a way for me to listen and learn about your unique story. We’ll also talk a little about how therapy works, what you can expect from me, and how we can work together. Most importantly, the first session is about building comfort and trust. It’s perfectly okay if you feel uncertain or don’t know where to start. My role is to support you, to listen without judgment, and to help you take things one step at a time.
I believe therapy should feel both collaborative and empowering. My approach integrates evidence-based methods—such as trauma-focused CBT, DBT, and specialized training in perinatal mental health—with a deep commitment to creating a safe and supportive space. What sets my work apart is my focus on helping clients not only manage challenges like anxiety, depression, or complex trauma, but also rediscover their strengths, build resilience, and gain fresh perspectives. True growth often happens in life’s most uncomfortable spaces, but therapy doesn’t have to begin in crisis. Together, we’ll work at your pace to cultivate self-awareness, increase confidence, and move toward meaningful, lasting change.
In therapy we will work together to develop awareness of how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect one another, build skills to handle difficult emotions and make behavior change, and practice these skills in a variety of situations so that you are able to support yourself moving forward.
I often use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy because it helps connect the dots between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Together, we’ll look at patterns like unhelpful thoughts or automatic reactions—that may be keeping you stuck. By increasing awareness of these patterns, you can begin to challenge and change them in ways that support your goals and well-being. In our sessions, CBT isn’t about “thinking positive” or ignoring challenges. It’s about giving you practical tools and strategies to manage difficult emotions, shift unhelpful thinking, and take small, meaningful steps forward. We’ll move at your pace, and I’ll support you as you learn new ways of responding that feel more balanced, empowering, and aligned with the life you want to create.
In our work together, I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help you create more flexibility in the way you respond to life’s challenges. ACT isn’t about getting rid of difficult thoughts or feelings, it’s about learning new ways to notice them, make space for them, and still move toward what matters most to you. We’ll explore your core values, build mindfulness skills, and practice strategies that allow you to handle discomfort without letting it control your choices. The goal is to help you live a more authentic, fulfilling life (even when challenges are present) by taking actions that align with who you want to be.
I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help clients learn practical skills for managing emotions, improving relationships, and coping with stress in healthier ways. DBT combines acceptance, learning to notice and understand your feelings without judgment, with change strategies that support new, more balanced responses. In our work together, we might focus on four main areas: building mindfulness, regulating emotions, improving communication, and developing tools to handle distress. These skills give you concrete strategies you can practice both in and outside of sessions, so you can feel more in control and confident in daily life.
CPT is an evidence-based approach that helps people heal from trauma by identifying and shifting unhelpful beliefs that keep them feeling stuck. Together, we’ll work on reducing the impact of painful memories and building healthier perspectives, so you can move forward with greater resilience and self-compassion. The goal of CPT is not to erase what happened, but to reduce the hold trauma has on your daily life, allowing you to move forward with greater freedom, resilience, and self-compassion.