New to Grow
I am a therapist who is passionate about helping individuals and couples navigate life’s challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and self‑compassion. I believe that therapy should be a collaborative and supportive process—one where clients feel safe, respected, and empowered to create meaningful change in their lives and relationships. In my work with individuals, I help clients better understand their thoughts, emotions, and behavior patterns, especially those that keep them feeling stuck or disconnected from what matters most. I draw from evidence‑based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and cognitive‑behavioral principles, to support clients in building psychological flexibility, coping more effectively with stress, and moving toward values‑driven goals. Rather than focusing solely on “fixing” symptoms, I work with clients to change their relationship with difficult experiences and to build skills that support long‑term growth. As a couples therapist, I support partners in strengthening communication, deepening emotional connection, and navigating conflict in healthier ways. I help couples identify unhelpful interaction patterns, increase understanding of one another’s experiences, and develop practical tools for responding with greater awareness and intention. Couples work often focuses on clarifying shared values, improving emotional safety, and learning how to stay connected even during challenging moments. My approach is trauma‑informed, strengths‑based, and tailored to each client or couple’s unique needs, background, and goals. I strive to create a therapeutic space that is thoughtful, nonjudgmental, and grounded in collaboration. Whether you are seeking support for personal growth, relationship concerns, or life transitions, my goal is to help you move forward with greater confidence, clarity, and alignment with what matters most to you.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Your first therapy session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin building a safe, collaborative foundation for our work together. My goal is to help you feel comfortable, supported, and understood from the very start—there is no pressure to have everything figured out or to know exactly what you want to say. During the first session, we will spend time discussing what brought you to therapy and what you hope to gain from it. You are welcome to share as much or as little as feels right for you. I may ask questions to better understand your concerns, your background, and the context of your current challenges, but the conversation will move at a pace that feels manageable and respectful. We will also talk about how therapy works, my approach, and what you can expect from the process. This includes discussing goals, what has or hasn’t been helpful for you in the past, and how we can tailor therapy to best support your needs. For couples, the first session often includes hearing from both partners about their perspectives and identifying shared goals for therapy, with an emphasis on creating emotional safety and mutual respect. You do not need to prepare anything in advance beyond showing up as yourself. Many clients leave the first session with a greater sense of clarity, relief, or direction, even if things still feel uncertain. Above all, the first session is about beginning a relationship built on trust, collaboration, and compassion, and determining together how therapy can best support you moving forward.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What often stands out to clients about my approach is the balance between compassion and practicality. I strive to create a therapy space that feels supportive, thoughtful, and nonjudgmental, while also remaining focused on meaningful, real‑world change. Therapy with me is not about fixing who you are, but about helping you develop a healthier relationship with your thoughts, emotions, and patterns so you can move toward what truly matters to you. My work is grounded in evidence‑based methods, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and cognitive‑behavioral principles. Rather than getting caught in endless analysis of problems, I help clients build psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present, respond intentionally, and take values‑aligned action even when things feel difficult. Sessions are active and collaborative, often incorporating reflection, practical tools, and experiential exercises that clients can apply outside of therapy. Clients often share that they appreciate my ability to hold complexity with clarity. I help individuals and couples slow things down, make sense of patterns, and identify what is within their control—without oversimplifying their experiences. For couples, this means creating space for both partners to feel heard while working toward shared goals and healthier ways of relating, especially during conflict. In terms of results, clients frequently report increased self‑awareness, improved emotional regulation, clearer communication, and a stronger sense of direction in their lives or relationships. While change doesn’t happen overnight, my goal is to help clients leave therapy with skills, insight, and confidence they can continue to use long after our work together ends.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best positioned to work with individuals and couples who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected and are ready to approach change with openness, curiosity, and intention. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling weighed down by anxiety, stress, relationship conflict, life transitions, or patterns that no longer align with the life they want to live. They may be functioning well on the outside but struggling internally, or they may be seeking deeper clarity about their values, relationships, and sense of direction. I work especially well with clients who want more than short‑term coping strategies and are interested in building lasting skills for emotional flexibility, self‑awareness, and meaningful change. This includes individuals who want to develop a healthier relationship with their thoughts and emotions, as well as couples who want to improve communication, strengthen connection, and navigate conflict with greater understanding and compassion. My approach is a good fit for people who are willing to reflect on their patterns, practice new ways of responding to challenges, and move toward lives and relationships guided by what matters most to them—even when growth feels uncomfortable at times. Whether your goal is personal growth, improved emotional well‑being, or a stronger, more intentional relationship, I aim to provide a supportive, collaborative space to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
As a cognitive behavioral therapist, I have extensive experience utilizing this treatment method as part of an evidence‑based, client‑centered approach to care. I integrate this model into my clinical practice to help individuals identify and modify unhelpful thought patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors that contribute to psychological distress and functional impairment. This treatment method aligns closely with core cognitive behavioral principles, including collaborative goal‑setting, psychoeducation, skills development, and ongoing assessment of progress. In my practice, I use this approach to support clients in developing greater insight into the relationships among their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, while building practical coping strategies that can be applied in daily life. Interventions are structured yet flexible, allowing them to be tailored to each client’s developmental level, cultural context, strengths, and treatment goals. I apply this method across a range of presenting concerns, adapting techniques as clinically indicated. Sessions typically include agenda‑setting, review of between‑session practice, introduction and rehearsal of targeted skills, and guided reflection to reinforce learning and promote generalization outside of therapy. I emphasize collaborative empiricism, encouraging clients to actively test and evaluate new perspectives and behaviors in a supportive and structured manner. Throughout treatment, I maintain a trauma‑informed and strengths‑based lens, ensuring that interventions are paced appropriately and delivered with attention to safety, engagement, and empowerment. Progress is monitored regularly using both qualitative feedback and standardized measures when appropriate, allowing for ongoing adjustment of the treatment plan. My use of this method is integrated within a broader CBT framework that values evidence‑based practice, ethical care, and meaningful, sustainable change for clients.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
As a therapist, I have experience utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as an evidence‑based, mindfulness‑informed approach to support individuals in developing psychological flexibility and living more meaningful, values‑driven lives. ACT informs my clinical work by helping clients change their relationship with difficult thoughts, emotions, and internal experiences, rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction or control. In my practice, I use ACT to assist clients in increasing awareness of unhelpful cognitive and behavioral patterns while cultivating acceptance, self‑compassion, and present‑moment engagement. Treatment emphasizes helping clients identify personal values and commit to actions that align with those values, even in the presence of emotional discomfort or distress. I integrate core ACT processes such as acceptance, cognitive defusion, mindfulness, values clarification, and committed action in a way that is responsive to each client’s goals, strengths, and life context. Sessions are collaborative and experiential, often incorporating metaphors, mindfulness exercises, and behavioral practices to promote insight and skill development. I work with clients to notice and unhook from rigid or self‑limiting thought patterns, build tolerance for difficult internal experiences, and expand behavioral flexibility. Between‑session practice is used to reinforce learning and encourage the application of skills in real‑world situations. Throughout treatment, I maintain a trauma‑informed, strengths‑based approach, ensuring that interventions are paced appropriately and delivered with attention to safety, cultural responsiveness, and client autonomy. Progress is monitored through ongoing reflection, feedback, and goal review, allowing treatment to remain aligned with clients’ evolving needs. ACT is integrated within my broader therapeutic framework to promote resilience, enhance functioning, and support sustainable, values‑guided change.
Couples Counseling
I have experience working as a couples therapist, supporting partners in improving communication, strengthening emotional connection, and navigating relationship challenges in a thoughtful and collaborative manner. In my practice, couples counseling focuses on helping partners better understand themselves, each other, and the patterns that shape their relationship, while developing skills that promote connection, respect, and mutual growth. I work with couples to identify unhelpful interaction cycles, clarify individual and shared goals, and increase awareness of how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence relationship dynamics. Therapy emphasizes creating a safe and structured space where both partners can express their experiences openly, feel heard, and develop greater empathy for one another. Interventions are tailored to the couple’s unique needs, cultural context, strengths, and stage of the relationship. In sessions, I support couples in building effective communication skills, increasing emotional regulation during conflict, and responding to challenges with greater flexibility and intentionality. I encourage partners to explore underlying values related to their relationship, such as trust, intimacy, cooperation, and commitment, and to practice behaviors that align with those values both in and outside of sessions. Therapy often includes guided dialogue, reflective exercises, and between‑session practice to reinforce learning and promote meaningful change. Throughout my work with couples, I maintain a trauma‑informed and strengths‑based approach, attending to emotional safety, power dynamics, and each partner’s lived experience. I monitor progress through ongoing reflection and goal review, making adjustments to treatment as needed. My approach to couples counseling is grounded in evidence‑based practice and is designed to help partners build healthier patterns of interaction, deepen connection, and create sustainable, values‑aligned change within their relationship.