New to Grow
Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, past experiences, or life stress that makes it difficult to feel calm, confident or fully present in their lives. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with adults experiencing anxiety, trauma, depression and life challenges that can leave people feeling stuck, discouraged, or disconnected from themselves and others. This can show up as overly-painful relationships or relationships that seem to start out great but inevitably end with disappointment. Next some feel they can't trust themselves, which can lead to hopelessness and even depression. My approach is compassionate, collaborative and practical. I integrate trauma-informed therapies such as EMDR, DBT skills, mindfulness and somatic/body-based approaches to help those I work with better understand their emotional responses, develop healthier coping strategies and create meaningful change. I have helped people in community mental health settings, acute crisis centers and in private practice settings. I recently worked in a DBT Team, helping people learn to navigate and heal from past trauma and the characterological issues that can follow, and then to restructure and rebuild their lives. Over the years I have worked with individuals facing trauma, substance abuse concerns, relationship struggles and major life transitions. An important part of the work often involves helping people develop a more compassionate and supportive relationship with themselves, which can reduce self-criticism and open the door to lasting change. I also welcome conversations about meaning, purpose and the spiritual dimensions of healing when that is important to the client. We move at a pace that feels safe and manageable, focusing on what is most important to you. My goal is to help people feel more integrated, confident, grounded, and better equipped to create fulfilling relationships and lives.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Starting therapy is a big step, and it is completely normal to feel unsure or nervous at first. The first session is simply an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and to talk about what has brought you to therapy. My goal is to create a comfortable and respectful space where you can speak openly about what you are feeling and experiencing. During our conversation, I will ask some questions to better understand your current concerns, your background, and what you hope might change through therapy. We may also review some aspects of your history so I can develop a clearer picture of what you've been experiencing and how best to support you. All of this helps us begin identifying what is most important to focus on as we move forward in therapy. Your comfort and emotional safety are always important, and we will approach difficult topics carefully and respectfully. We will move at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Some people come to the first session with a clear idea of what they want to discuss, while others are still sorting through their thoughts and feelings. You don't need to have everything figured out before you come to therapy-we can sort through things together. By the end of the session, we will usually have a clearer sense of your goals and how we might work together moving forward. Many people find that simply beginning the conversation is an important first step toward feeling more supported and hopeful.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is the ability to integrate several approaches in a way that helps people address both the immediate challenges they are facing and the deeper experiences and aspects that may be influencing their lives. Over many years of clinical practice, I have worked with individuals experiencing anxiety, trauma, depression, substance abuse concerns, and difficult life transitions. My work combines practical tools with deeper healing approaches. Using Motivational Interviewing, I often integrate methods such as EMDR, DBT with Skills work, Mindfulness, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), and parts-based or Ego State Therapy. These all work together to help people better understand their own personal aspects and emotional responses, regulate stress and process memories that may still be shaping their lives. Sometimes people feel stuck, unsure what path is the right one, and in need of solid solutions. For this, I assist using Problem Solving Therapy (PST) and Solution Focused (Brief) Therapy (SFBT), which are especially helpful in these situations. I am also comfortable working with individuals who experience intense emotions, complex relationship patterns, attachment issues or long-standing personality dynamics that can sometimes make life and relationships feel chaotic and overwhelming. My approach focuses on creating stability, increasing self-understanding, increasing self-support (addressing self-sabotage) and helping people develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. If desired, I can bring a transpersonal perspective into therapy when it is helpful for the people I work with. This means remaining open to exploring questions of personal growth, meaning, and the deeper dimensions of healing, including spirituality, while respecting each individuals's beliefs and life experience.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful and self-reflective individuals who may be struggling with anxiety, trauma, depression, or patterns in their relationships and within themselves that feel impossible to change. They often sense that their current challenges may be connected to deeper experiences from the past and want to understand themselves more fully rather than simply manage symptoms. They might feel that brewing beneath the surface is this really awesome person just screaming to get out! It's not unusual for individuals who come see me to feel overwhelmed by stress. Their emotional reactions, or past experiences continue to affect their confidence, relationships, or sense of well-being. Many are navigating difficult life transitions, working through substance use concerns, or seeking greater clarity and direction in their lives. Often, clients are interested in developing a more compassionate and supportive relationship with themselves while learning healthier ways of coping with difficult emotions and experiences. Acceptance of 'what is' helps one move past what they don't want. If one is open to exploring their inner world with curiosity and compassion, strengthening their sense of self, they can create more meaningful relationships and lives. For some people, this process may also include exploring questions of personal growth, meaning, or spirituality as part of their healing and development. If you're feeling unsure whether therapy is right for you, that's completely okay-many people begin exactly there.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT was made for specifically those who feel emotions really strongly-sometimes so strongly it's like emotions completely take over. If you've ever felt your feelings were running your life-whether in your reactions, choices or relationships-DBT gives you a way to get the reins back, in a real and supportive way. Dialectical just means finding a balance between two things that seem opposite. In DBT, it's about both accepting who you are right now and also working to change what's hurting. You need both for real healing. DBT won't give you the usual "just cheer up" advise. Instead, it acknowledges that how you feel is real and there's a reason behind it. From there, it gives you real tools to handle those feelings and make genuine changes.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a practical framework for helping clients identify and shift patterns of negative thinking and behavior that contribute to anxiety, depression, and stress. I often integrate CBT tools with trauma-informed approaches, helping clients develop greater awareness of themselves. CBT is all about noticing those thoughts patterns that might be steering you into feeling stuck or stressed. It's like realizing the stories you tell yourself can shape how you feel day-to-day. If you've ever felt like your mind goes on autopilot with worries, doubts or assumptions, CBT helps you catch those thoughts and rethink them in a way that works better for you. It's not about pretending everything's fine-it's about getting real with those mental habits and changing them step by step. CBT says, hey, those thoughts you're having-they're powerful, but you can shift them. And when you shift how you think, you start feeling better and acting in ways that fit who you want to be.
EMDR
I use EMDR as a trauma-informed therapy to help clients process distressing or overwhelming experiences that continue to affect emotions, beliefs and daily life. This approach supports the brains's natural healing process, allowing difficult memories-from more recent stressors to earlier traumatic experiences-to be integrated so they no longer carry the same emotional intensity. In my practice EMDR helps people reduce anxiety, resolve trauma-related patterns and find greater stability and resilience. Some say that EMDR is preferred because it works much faster than conventional methods and can reduce suffering dramatically.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I incorporate mindfulness-based practices to help clients develop greater awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and physical responses to stress. Mindfulness also helps people to recognize how internal patterns influence interactions with others - including relationships at work, within families, and in everyday situations. As you become more aware of how your own internal landscape can affect your own environment and the people around you, you often experience greater balance, more fulfilling relationships and an increased ability to move toward the kind of life you want to create. In my work, mindfulness is often integrated with trauma-informed and somatic approaches to help regulate the nervous system and support lasting emotional well-being.
Somatic
I incorporate somatic and body-based approaches to help clients recognize how stress, emotions, and past experiences are often held in the body as well as the mind. By increasing awareness of physical sensations, nervous system responses, and patterns of tension or activation, clients can better understand how these experiences contribute to anxiety, emotional distress, and other mental health challenges. I also help those I work with to safely process and release trauma related emotional tension held in the body - energetic release. Somatic methods can be very helpful for Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) as well, as they can feel things especially intensely. This can give words and credibility to inner-experiences that one may have not thought possible. I may also integrate Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT tapping) as an additional mind-body tool to support emotional regulation and the processing of difficult experiences. Many people find this approach helpful for reducing anxiety, calming intrusive thoughts or obsessive patterns, and addressing stress-related behaviors such as emotional eating.