LCSW, 18 years of experience
Hello, I am a licensed clinical social worker and certified drug and alcohol counselor with 18 years of clinical experience treating clients ages 13 and up who are struggling with trauma, addiction, and serious mental illnesses using various trauma-informed, evidenced-based practices. I pride myself on developing a safe, secure, supportive and non-judgemental therapeutic rapport and environment to begin the healing process.
The intake process is a very important, sensitive, and often vulnerable period in building a therapeutic relationship that I conduct with care, respect, and non-judgment. I meet the client where they are in their willingness to share their feelings and personal histories while emphasizing the importance of the information to begin the treatment planning to move towards the healing process. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of their situations. The client’s progress will be measured by the treatment plan, goal achievement, and client effort during and after the session.
I pride myself on focusing on individualized care and creating a safe, supportive, and nonjudgemental therapeutic rapport and environment for my clients to be vulnerable to explore their thoughts and feelings and begin their healing process. My strengths authenticity, transparency, compassion, integrity, and respect for the individual and their right to self-determination, and my clinical and personal experiences. Healing from trauma is a journey best taken with a guide who has been there and knows multiple pathways to recovery.
It is my passion to help the pre-adolescent to young adult (11-25), survivors population struggling to overcome the often-debilitating psychological effects of trauma and addiction because they are our future champions for justice and change to prevent these types of tragedies. I also have experience working with clients of middle and older ages and the veteran population.
I have 18 years' experience using CBT treatment with individuals with addiction, criminal behaviors, depression, anxiety, bipolar, trauma and trauma related disorders to help behavioral change by learning to modify dysfunctional thought patterns. This is accomplished by helping them first understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by providing psychoeducation on cognitive distortions and belief systems, and the resulting self-defeating and maladaptive behaviors. Working collaboratively, I teach the client to identify irrational, maladaptive, or distorted beliefs, question evidence for the belief, and generate/restructure alternative thoughts to change unwanted and or targeted behaviors. I use structured learning in sessions and provide homework for clients to continue to work on behavior change in-between sessions. The goal is to help them recognize how their thoughts affect their mood and behavior.
During my 18 years of working in various clinical settings, I have learned to prove integrated treatment services/approaches utilizing a toolbox of eclectic strengths-based, resilience-enhancing, empowering evidence-based practices and strategies such as client/person-centered therapy, humanistic therapy, trauma-informed therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma-focused CBT, mindfulness-based treatment, solutions-focused (SFT) therapy, task-centered/problem-solving therapy, narrative therapy, and harm reduction therapy designed specifically to meet each individual’s strengths and needs.
I have 18 years of experience using motivational interviewing, combined with CBT, primarily with individuals with addictions and criminal behaviors. I use a nonthreatening and supportive style that allows my clients to examine their own situations, consider the pros and cons of changing, and make a firm decision about the need for change and encourage them to take responsibility for their own situation.
Throughout my 18 years of clinical experience collaborating with clients to help them make change, improvements, problem-solve and grow I have always relied on strengths-based practices to draw on the client's strengths and assets as a means to work together to determine an outcome that meets their needs and goals .
I have 18 years of experience providing trauma-informed therapy in a variety of clinical settings, and with my thorough understanding of the pervasive nature and impact of trauma, I have been able to tailor various therapeutic interventions and approaches to the client’s trauma history, triggers, and specific needs to facilitate the healing process.