I am a licensed marriage and family therapist. I have several years of training with parents and children, couples and families, and individuals, in community and therapeutic settings. Having worked with many different age groups and people, I have developed skills to be able to create alliances in differing and often challenging interpersonal situations. I take a generally psychodynamic approach and also incorporate trauma-informed care, CBT, Gottman, mindfulness, and systems theory approaches.
The first session is mainly collecting information about the history and current symptoms and experiences of the client to get a whole picture of who they are and what they need. This includes both the challenges they're facing and strengths they possess. Client/s can expect a compassionate and thoughtfully paced interaction.
One of my greatest strengths is the ability to reconcile seemingly conflicting dynamics. I provide empathy, even where there seems to be little room for it, while also maintaining gentle accountability and honest reflection. I strive to create safety within significant discomfort. I maintain awareness of my personal processing and experiences while staying attuned to my client/s unique narrative and perspectives, which is a less obvious but very important skill in the therapeutic process.
I am trained in three different trauma interventions: NET, EMDR, and TFCBT. I have helped clients work through false cognitions that they've developed through big and complex trauma experiences that have caused them to be stuck in their relationships and personal growth and development. I've treated both children, teens, and adults. I believe it is pertinent that a safe, secure, and trusting environment be built in order to be able to navigate such vulnerable and shaming experiences.
I have worked with and counseled families for years around issues between parent/child, couples, and co-parents. While I believe just one individual can create positive change in a relationship, having family members working together can be even more impactful and takes the pressure off a single individual to do the hard work.
Being culturally informed and humble is important to me as it's has been a big part of my identity and experience growing up and the learning never stops. Being a person of color myself, I have been on both ends of prejudice, racism, and bias and can offer a rounded perspective.
I have used TF-CBT for over two years with children and teens. While I do not shy away from discussing challenging experiences, I also strongly believe in providing a safe, empathetic, and thoughtfully paced treatment to help young client work through uncomfortable, shaming, and confusing experiences. This is a challenging topic to navigate and discuss for not just children but often for parents and other family members as well. I have found it to be beneficial for both the child and adult/s to engage in the process of healing through big and complex traumas of the child.