LCSW, 5 years of experience
New to Grow
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, and affirming space where clients can heal and learn. Much of my clinical experience has focused on working with children/teens, adults, and families to process trauma, improve emotion regulation skills and behaviors, and strengthen relationships. I also have years of experience providing child welfare and court-mandated therapeutic services. As a therapist, I bring a deep understanding of how our identities and life experiences can shape our mental health. I work from a trauma-informed perspective and utilize many different therapeutic techniques. I have training/experience in using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and art/play therapy techniques.
In a first session, I'll work to understand the current circumstances/symptoms that bring a client to therapy as well as how their past experiences may be continuing to impact them. I want to get to know clients as individuals and identify therapeutic needs and goals.
My therapeutic style tends to be affirming, open, and laid back. I'm typically pretty direct and I like to ask questions and challenge my clients. I prioritize creating a safe therapeutic relationship as the foundation of the work we will do together. I truly believe in the power of a secure attachment and have seen how that opens doors for clients to learn and make changes in their lives. My favorite part about being a therapist is the ability to be flexible and creative in how to meet client needs.
As a therapist, I have a strong focus on neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ populations. I enjoy working with late-diagnosed ADHD/Autism and helping clients understand how their brain works, recover from burnout, and improve self-esteem. Most of my experience as a therapist has been centered around trauma processing and I am passionate about creating a safe space for children/teens, adults, and families to work through trauma. I love working with kids and parents to improve family dynamics, emotion regulation, and behaviors.
I approach therapy from a trauma-informed perspective, which means I look at each person as an individual with their own life experiences. Those experiences impact the way we live our lives and it's important for me to understand how our past is connected to the present.
Being able to understand our attachment styles and how we relate to other people is a part of our healing. In therapy, I believe that the attachment and relationship with the therapist is just as important as the work being done.
DBT helps with improving our coping and interpersonal skills. I enjoy helping clients learn new skills and how to apply those to their unique circumstances.
I'm trained in Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD. I enjoy being creative throughout the process and collaborating with clients to complete exposures. ERP has had such positive results for OCD clients and it's great to see their hard work pay off.
I love using components of ACT to help clients understand and accept themselves, particularly neurodivergent clients. ACT helps us to reframe self-doubt and judgment, so that we can live more in line with our personal values.