LICSW, 25 years of experience
I earned my Masters in Social Work from the University of Minnesota had have been a licensed clinical social worker for 15 years. I have worked in a variety of settings with teenagers and young adults who are looking toward the future while living in an uncertain world; women who have had a traumatic birth, or an unexpected disability; women who are looking toward a return to the workforce or a career change; adults looking to improve their relationships or their own quality of life; and those grieving the loss of partner, a child, a parent or other significant relationships.
Clients can expect to feel welcomed and unconditional acceptance as we establish our relationship. It is a safe space for sharing thoughts and feelings that keep bubbling up. We will get to know each other and determine next steps together. Our relationship will be a partnership as we explore your story. I will want to hear where your life story has taken you and where you are looking to go next.
My greatest strength is my varied life experience. I understand the challenges of facing many people who have multicultural relationships and family members. I am an attentive listener and able to identify the skills and strengths you already have to make the changes you are looking for. I'm skilled at sifting through lots of ideas and finding the core desire behind making changes.
My clients are ready for change and are wanting the skills to put the change into action. They often feel stuck, overwhelmed and anxious about life/work balance careers. Family is very important to my clients and is what drives them to want more in their next steps.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment strives to identify client strengths and increase client capacity to develop and build those areas that support their best life. Solution Focused Brief Treatment believes that the client is the best expert about themselves. Every person has problem solving strategies and has survived different experiences in the past. I work with the client to uncover those strategies and strengthen them through practice and changing mindsets.
Happiness. Life satisfaction. Loving family relationship. A supportive social network. Many people strive toward happiness. With a strength-based approach the therapist encourages the client engage in specific activities (journaling , mindfulness) which promote positive subjective experiences, identify positive individual traits, and strengthen positive relationships with the aim to improve the client's overall quality of life.
Multicultural relationships in our personal life and in the workplace require special insight and understanding of the role race, racism, and whiteness impact individuals and our partners, families, and colleagues. The challenges of parenting biracial children, providing support to partners and/or those who are facing bias. Being in a multicultural family, I am aware of the impact of discriminatory actions, and micro-aggressions in the workplace and school, and anywhere else life takes us requires a safe place to process and validate racialized trauma. By partnering with the client, we can process harmful events and build inter-personal skills for living and supporting multicultural relationships.