I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 14 years of experience starting as a chemical dependency counselor while working my way through college to obtain my master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. I have worked in the Texas prison system as an In Prison Therapeutic Community Counselor helping clients to understand and overcome their addictions and criminal lifestyles before exiting prison on parole. I then worked for more than eight years in the homeless populations of San Antonio, Texas where I assisted clients in rebuilding their lives after addictions and homelessness. I have worked with first responders, veterans, and many others experiencing trauma and stress. I have found that trauma can cause people to accept drugs and other substances into their lives in an attempt to control or manage the trauma only to discover in time that they have developed an addiction they need to deal with.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
I like to educate my clients on what they are experiencing and why. And then educate them on proven therapies and strategies that can help them manage their lives in a better and more meaningful way.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I use a blend of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapies to help people gain better self-awareness and thereby better self-control.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe in a practical hands-on type of approach to counseling and I do ask that clients do homework assignments throughout the week in order to challenge and change their negative behaviors and beliefs. We are all products of our own environments but our environment starts with our own perception of that environment. Therefore, if someone is afraid or uncertain about the environment they will respond accordingly, but if they view that same environment as something workable or doable then they will respond accordingly as well. We change your perception, we change your reality.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I work well with clients experiencing trauma, anxiety, stress, addictions, and change-of-life issues.