Hello, and welcome! My introduction to the counseling field began while working within therapeutic group homes that served children through adults experiencing mental health struggles. This experience, both enriching and meaningful, inspired my interest in pursuing counseling. I was deeply moved by the varying degrees of challenging life experiences that we are all tasked with navigating and the ways we attempt to cope, gain insight from, and hopefully transform our adverse circumstances. I received my Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University and since, I’ve had the opportunity to assist a diverse range of clients in both inpatient treatment and outpatient therapy settings, and more recently, at a college counseling clinic at the University of Montana. Within these programs, I’ve helped clients address anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, academic challenges, relationships, identity changes, sexuality, and general life stressors. I am grateful that I can work to help individuals navigate the evolving nature of their lives by providing unconditional positive regard, encouragement, and supportive guidance.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
My hope is that clients, at the very minimum, leave each session with a strong sense of having felt validated and understood. Beyond this core connection, I want to help clients identify specific insights, tools and strategies that can guide their healing efforts. While I strongly value process-oriented work, it can sometimes be difficult to integrate into a client’s life practices. Therefore, I see my role as helping to strike a balance between processing and application, which I believe is essential for facilitating the translation of therapy content into identifiable actions, frames of reference and goals.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
Through my years of being a counselor, my areas of specialty have coalesced around the practices of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Family Systems/Attachment Theory, and Motivational Interviewing. While these clinical approaches strongly inform my practice, I believe deeply in the importance of developing a collaborative relationship with clients. Relationships built upon trust and respect are vital in forming a strong working relationship. I’m also licensed as an Addiction Counselor; this area of practice has given me the opportunity to work with a spectrum of individuals struggling with substance abuse, ranging from those receiving care at an inpatient treatment center, to people who are just starting to question their substance use patterns and are seeking guidance around cutting back or are preparing to abstain.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe my strength lies in the diverse range of my clinical background, which has provided me with a wealth of client experiences, challenging issues and uniquely personal life circumstances. These have all equally deepened my beliefs in the treatment methods I utilize and have reinforced the importance of maintaining a dynamic treatment approach and a client-centered focus.