(He/Him)
New to Grow
I was born and raised in North Texas, where I studied Social Work at a bachelors and masters level. I started working in the mental health space in 2022, and had had the privilege of serving my community in a wide variety of roles before I eventually became a therapist. My passion for this work is constantly reaffirmed by having countless experiences with clients who demonstrate their ability to address and overcome life stressors, distressing, or traumatic experiences to begin their journey towards fulfillment. I specialize in treating clients who struggle with suicidal ideation, thoughts of self harm, clients experiencing depression, and clients who have experienced trauma. I work with adults aged 18-72.
I tend to ask lots of questions so I can better get to know you. I like to build a comprehensive history for each of my clients as I believe that we cannot just examine the thoughts and behaviors of an individual, without also examining the context in which these things happen.
I offer a direct, no-nonsense approach to therapy, while maintaining empathy and compassion for my clients. I believe that it is important to balance accountability with grace, as I have found that shame is an awful motivator for change. I have spent many years working in crisis levels of care, and I am not easily intimidated by what may come up in session.
I take a direct and empowering approach to therapy. I believe that empowerment is a far more sustainable to way to maintain healthy mental health, as a client who can trust their ability to take care of themselves is a client who can quickly get back on track and use their skills and knowledge to adapt to the trials of life. I do my best to be clear and direct with my feedback as I want to be respectful of your time and commitment to the therapeutic process, and I believe it is healthy to model assertive but compassionate communication. I work best with clients who are willing to set goals and try their best to make changes. I expect that clients are intentional about what they wish to bring to therapy at least most of the time.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT is the primary modality that I use in talk therapy, as I find it important for clients to establish an understanding of the relationship between acceptance and control, as well as how our values inform the actions we will take in coping with life's stressors.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I believe it is important for clients to build insight into how they think about the world, themselves, and others so that they can better understand their behaviors and belief systems. CBT is an effective tool for building that insight and can be helpful in changing one's approach to life.
EMDR
EMDR is widely considered to be the "gold standard" of trauma therapy. I like using EMDR because it not only places focus on desensitizing triggers and distressing memories, but also focuses on establishing positive beliefs to take the place of the negative beliefs one might develop as a result of a traumatic experience.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Clients tend to benefit from DBT as the modality focuses heavily on emotional regulation skills and interpersonal effectiveness. Clients seeking assistance with coping skills or expanding their ability to tolerate stressors, or are seeking skills to more adaptively interact with the people in their life, DBT might be a good approach for you.