LCSW, 12 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a clinical social worker with over 12 years of therapeutic experience working with children, adults and families in the non-profit sector. Prior, I worked as an assistant teacher in an early childhood center, social worker in hospital advocacy and foster care agency. I have spent the last few years of my career supporting individuals and families on their journey of “who am I?” and “who are WE?” My therapy services provide a space for individuals and/or families to explore these facets of themselves and integrate their lived experiences while fostering hope and connection in the present and future. Within the last 5 years, some of my client focus has been working with individuals who identify their parenting reactivity as a struggle. At times parenting can be lead with ones own childhood, leaving the relationship with your child of any ability, neurotypical, neurodivergent and/or medically complex, in disconnection. Finding spaces that can hold the complexity of this experience is vital in our growth as parents. When we experience too much, too soon, too fast and/or not enough for too long it impacts our ability to feel heard, be seen and feel valued through connection. Therapy offers a space in which these parts can express themselves allowing for internal shifts that have an impact on how the world is navigated. Embracing who we are takes tremendous bravery and compassion
Whether I am working with an adult, teenager, or child my approach will be individualized, meeting each person where they are through a collaborative approach. I believe that when we reach within ourselves, our support systems and community, we often find an innate ability to heal which are resiliency factors that can be built upon. As a play therapist, I see behavior as ways of communication used to express underlying needs. My role is to assist in the process of exploring and addressing underlying motivations underneath behavior in the individual and family context. I am a firm believer when we incorporate play we are brought to life which is crucial in the healing process of any age. "The opposite of play is not work- the opposite of play is depression" -Dr. Stuart Brown Play is our vitality, a birthplace of creativity, imagination and joy. A human right. In our first session we will identify collaborative goals and indicators that will help you identify when things feel different/ are getting better.
I approach therapeutic relationship with humility, compassion, playfulness, dignity, and respect. These qualities are essential for building a strong and effective therapeutic alliance, which is crucial for the success of the therapy process. Humility allows me to be open to feedback and continuously improve my practice, while compassion ensures that clients feel valued and that I am seeking understanding. Collaborating with parents on increasing their capacity and be present with their 0-5 year old in play.
I respect and value the short-term therapy process; a place where you may need some immediate support and a place to piece some life-changing events together. Transition into a long-term therapy process can be explored on a desire/need basis as it lends itself to reaching within and peeling layers of self back further.
Brainspotting is a powerful, but gentle, mindfulness-based, brain/body focused treatment that works by identifying, processing, and releasing stored trauma and pain, which when untreated, results in a variety of symptoms.
EMDR is a therapy that helps people heal from trauma and emotional distress. It involves moving your eyes a specific way while processing traumatic memories. EMDR's goal is to help your brain heal itself by reorganizing how it stores and deals with memories that are still causing you pain.
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach that helps individuals of all ages express emotions and develop skills through play. It is effective for managing trauma, anxiety, autism, and ADHD across various age groups
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is a specialized therapeutic approach designed for children aged 0 to 5 who have experienced trauma, such as abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. CPP aims to restore the child-caregiver relationship, which often suffers after traumatic events.
A strength-based approach focuses on identifying and leveraging individual strengths to foster personal growth and improve well-being.