LMFT, 28 years of experience
New to Grow
I’m excited to get to know you better! In the meantime, here’s a little about me, and my professional experience and training. I think one of the biggest challenges, after taking that first brave step of reaching out, is to find a good therapist that you connect with. In my twenty-plus years of experience, the therapeutic relationship is the principal reason that therapy “works” or “doesn’t work.” My therapeutic style focuses on first developing a strong therapeutic alliance in which you feel emotionally safe and heard without judgment. You’ve already come to the conclusion that something in your life is not working, and my task is to help you to identify the ways in which you’d like things to be different. From there, together we can create realistic, achievable goals that support those changes and move you toward the life that you deserve. I have a large repertoire of strategies and interventions, which include cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing. Producing insights, strategies, and tools that you can use immediately is the goal of every interaction I have with you. I have extensive experience in trauma, anxiety, relationship issues (adult as well as parent-child), substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. I have found that many people experiencing trauma or anxiety are helped by a combination of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy. This teaches them how to tolerate their intense feelings and how to reframe unhelpful thought patterns that keep them stuck. On a personal note, I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1997 and have worked with a variety of clients in many different settings. When I’m not helping people, I can usually be found on the golf course or outdoors. I look forward to helping you to make the changes you desire.
The first session, the intake session, is what I like to call a "housekeeping" session. We will get the paperwork out of the way, and go over forms that are required by your insurance in order to bill for therapy sessions. During the intake session, there will be lots of Q&A as I attempt to collect your history. This may involve some rather invasive questions, but time and efficiency dictate that I gather as much detail as possible, as it relates to the issue that brings you to therapy. Most of this will be fairly short, with additional detail filled in over time (as necessary). This is the only time you will see me taking notes (other than jotting down a reminder for something I need to do for our next session). The point of the intake is to generate an assessment of the problem, and establish a diagnosis (for insurance purposes). Once the assessment is completed, you will have the opportunity to review it, and we can discuss my diagnosis as well. There will be some time toward the end of the intake session for you to ask me any questions that you might have as well. And at any point during therapy, you are free to ask me questions!
My greatest strengths as a therapist are -My ability to engage with clients and form a solid relationship; -My sense of humor; and -My ability to meet the client where they're at and offer them tips, skills, and strategies to help them become unstuck.
The most productive and enjoyable clients that I work with are willing to engage in therapy. They may be uncertain or shy, but they are open to learning new and different ways to approach their problems. They are curious. They are seeking a greater understanding of some part of themselves, and recognize that something they are doing/saying/thinking isn't helpful. WILLINGNESS is probably the most underrated quality in the human repertoire. When we are willing, almost anything is possible. This state of mind is one in which the client is able to say (either to themselves or to me) "I am stuck, this aspect of my life isn't working, but I am open and ready to receive new information that will be more helpful to me." A willing client takes an active role in practicing a new skill, and reporting back on whether it was useful or not. Willing clients may or may not yet have established therapy goals. That's ok. Part of the process for clients is sorting through the rubble and uncovering what really matters to them. This sorting calls for an open discussion of what they truly value, and from there, we can together develop goals that move the client toward a more meaningful life. All of this openness can also be uncomfortable, but a client with a growth mindset understands that therapy sometimes makes things worse before they get better, as is the case with most change processes. They use their sessions to examine their discomfort, name their feelings, and also create different patterns of thinking that are both authentic and accurate. That being said, willingness is not passivity. An engaged client will also ask questions, or say things like "I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't think it applies. How does that relate to me?" The therapeutic relationship, a unique professional relationship, still encompasses two people and requires both to come to session prepared to focus and explore. One of my favorite things to hear from a client is "Can you say that again? I am taking notes and wanted to get it down."
I have been trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and have been using it as my primary therapeutic modality for the last 10 years. I have found it extremely effective in helping clients to both learn useful coping skills and set meaningful and achievable therapeutic goals.
I have incorporated mindfulness techniques in my practice as a major component of helping clients manage trauma, anxiety, difficulties focusing, and many other internal challenges. This, combined with ACT, creates a very powerful treatment modality.