New to Grow
I truthfully am not the best with filling out bios- perhaps because my methods, rapport building, and communication style are more organic/less rigid and are tailored to each client. I absolutely love my job. Each day is a guarantee of growth, realization and learning. Being a therapist has brought ME so much clarity and peace about who I am, and I believe that amplifies success in session. One thing therapy is guaranteed to do for you is provide MORE. More motivation, understand, perspective, hope, and/or self-awareness. Stuck inside a lot? Not able to communicate your feelings to your partner, or understand them yourself? Wondering what else life has to offer? Or what you/this world is all about? More practically- having trouble overcoming bad habits, paralyzing fears, busy schedule, parent guilt, or sadness? I feel honored and excited to help people struggling with any version of the above. I also am an LGBTQ+, culturally sensitive, religiously/politically sensitive, and social justice aligned therapist- so all are welcome here!
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session will begin with discussing questions you have with Grow’s platform/ any practical questions. After this we will go over any previous therapeutic experience, your expectations and desires for therapy, and an initial intake. Sometimes with clients who are new to therapy or are currently going through a very emotional struggle I will deviate from this plan to meet a client’s immediate need. So if you are hoping that your first session can provide you with some comfort or minor assistance, then the session will be less structured. One thing to note: we will not be creating a treatment plan until the second session. This means that problem-solving/practical skills/homework usually are not part of the first session. I will explain this more in the first session, but the primary reason is my tailoring treatment to clients.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My skills for the first stage of therapy include rapport building, accurate diagnosis/ re-diagnosis, holistic treatment, problem-solving, developing self-awareness, and tailoring treatment to my individual clients. After the first 1-3 months therapy should become a bit more challenging. In this phase I excel in helping my clients process any trauma or difficult emotions/ decisions at their own pace. Clients need to be attuned to themselves when going through this process, which is very difficult when things get more challenging! Therefore I am a mindful assistant helping my clients know when to slow down, take breaks, process further, and take action. For couples I excel with being impartial, honest, and direct. I also tend to incorporate much psychoeducation with my couples utilizing family-systems, attachment/trauma sensitive, and holistic therapies. Any other questions you have, please bring into our first session!
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I love working with clients who are engaged and invested in their treatment in session. Life gets busy, homework assignments can’t always get done, so the therapy session is incredibly important and a great place to regroup, reset, and refocus. Disclaimer: Being engaged does not mean you need to have therapeutic experience or know how to communicate effectively in session. We can work on those things together! Being engaged means being focused, open, and honest as this provides many highways for us to drive along in your journey.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
4+ years of experience in 1-1 counseling, groups, and couples therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
6+ years of experience in 1-1 counseling, groups, and couples therapy.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
4+ years of experience in 1-1 counseling, groups, and couples therapy.
Couples Counseling
3.5 years of experience in 1-1 counseling, groups, and couples therapy.
Integrative
I utilize many therapeutic modalities, tailored to my clients’ needs. More income DBT, compassion-based, schema, motivational interviewing, family systems, and culturally sensitive approaches. You can expect treatment that is collaborative, evidenced based, and experiential in nature.