New to Grow
Greetings, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California, North Carolina and Florida. I received my Master's in Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles. Most of my career has been focused in health care settings where I have worked as an outpatient behavioral health therapist, inpatient therapist and medical social worker. I bring a whole person approach into my work with clients and strive to provide a safe and supportive environment which facilitates personal growth and healing.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we will get acquainted. I will discuss the guidelines for therapy and address any questions you may have. I will encourage you to discuss your concerns and hopes for therapy and will seek to understand what your needs are and jointly, we will develop a plan for future sessions.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I am an experienced therapist who strives to provide a high quality of care to my clients which is caring, strength based and compassionate.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Many of my clients have been adults who are in the midst of some type of life change or recognize that something needs to change as they are emotionally hurting, coping with unexpected life events, struggling to adjust to new life stages or at a crossroads in which they are confronted with the need to chart a new or different course in their life. I enjoy working with adults across the life span and have been able to work effectively with young adults exploring career options, Veterans, parents/single parents, and adults motivated to enhance their overall health and well being.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have found CBT to help people better manage depression, anxiety, anger, stress and other challenging emotions. In working with clients, I assist them with increasing their awareness of the relationship between activating events (people, places and situations) and their self talk around these events. We explore how patterns of thinking; what they are telling themselves about the situation may be interfering with their experiencing the outcomes they want in their lives. CBT is an evidence based treatment which has a proven track record of success.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Assisting clients with present moment awareness, quieting the mind and noticing the fullness of the moment whether it be savoring a wonderful meal or listening to a beautiful piece of music requires that we slow down. I assist clients with building skills which can facilitate more inner peace.
Supportive
I strive to provide an environment in which clients feel safe to process and feel supported as they discuss and process their current difficulties which may include: loss of a loved one, relationship issues, health challenges, problematic behaviors and more. I utilize a strength based approach and assist clients to move in the direction of their personal goals.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I assist clients through a process of exploration of their values and personal goals and then we look at how current patterns of thinking and behaviors may be interfering with their journey toward their desired destinations. Clients learn how get unhooked from unhelpful thoughts, be more accepting of their feelings and develop a toolkit of coping skills.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Clients feel more confident in their ability to safely manage intense emotions through incorporating emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills.