LCSW, 10 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a psychotherapist with over 10 years experience in clinical care. I have an LCSW and MDIV which allows me to help clients as a whole person while honoring their mental and spiritual wellness. I specialize in the treatment of adult neurodivergent individuals across the spectrums of ADHD, Autism, Bipolar, and BPD. I am trained in adherent intensive DBT as well as EMDR for trauma treatment. These two modalities give me the tools to teach Clients how to control their own minds, increase their resilience, reduce their trauma symptoms, and help them build lives they are eager and excited to live. I have walked alongside clients in crisis for most of my career and I considerate an honor to help them through those dark moments. Still "crisis" is different for each individual and I value helping each client in their specific time of need.
During our first session we will take time to get to know each other. I often share more information about my modalities, clinical assumptions, experience, and practices. Then we will review the information provided through your forms and paperwork. I will have lots of questions and observations to talk to you about and we will get a good picture of what brings you into therapy. We will talk about what you would like to get out of our time together and then we will make a plan on how to get to those goals. Before we end I will leave you with at least one useful skill (because if I only see you once I still want to have helped) and if you feel like I'm a good fit we will schedule you for a second visit.
First let me say that I think the human brain is sexy. I'm fascinated by it and I just can't get enough research, information, or observation of it. This means that my sessions are often educational or didactic because I love sharing information with my clients. When science teaches us something new about the brain it often helps explain why we do what we do, which is the first step to affecting change in our lives. Because of my background in social work, I value client driven therapy. I believe that our time together is your time, that you are the only one who can affect change in your life, that you probably have all the strength you need to make change, and that I am just a resource for that change. I also recognize that our environments contribute to our health on all levels and that we are never separate from the people and places in our lives. I know that my clients are the experts about their lives and I honor their experiences by practicing humility and seeking understanding. I assume that you are already doing your best, that we all have value and worth no matter our choices or circumstances, that repair is possible even when it feels otherwise, and that things are usually "both/and" instead of "either/or." I believe that we can heal our minds, bodies, souls, and relationships with the right help, tools, and focus. I also have a MDIV from a Christian seminary. This credential had little to do with my professional goals and more to do with my own spiritual journey. Still, seminary is where I discovered my own drive to help the whole person and where I decided I need science based education to do so. My time in seminary taught me that lots of different faith experiences are valid, that relationships are the point of living, that no human is complete without some spiritual connection to a world and universe that is bigger than them, and that my MDIV on it's own is not enough to help people in crisis and distress. Prayer has power, but we cannot pray away mental illness, social injustice, identities, or poverty. I have two empirically supported and proven modalities at my disposal that I employ most often during sessions. Still, if YOU value my MDIV then we can certainly dive into those topics and resources as well. Otherwise, it is just a degree I earned.
If you: - are looking to change your life but struggle with acquiring and maintaining new habits; if you want healthier longer lasting relationships - want to build resilience and tolerance for the struggles life throws at you - are experiencing anxiety, depression, or general distress about your relationships and life - are in crisis and experiencing suicidal or homicidal ideation and/or self harm behaviors - love someone who is experiencing SI/HI/SH or BPD symptoms - just want someone to talk to that will listen and not judge I'd love to meet you.