LMSW-C, 23 years of experience
I am licensed clinical social worker in Michigan with over 20 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients to address concerns including stress and anxiety, trauma history, depression, grief & loss, interpersonal relationship challenges, anger, impulse control, & bipolar disorder and substance use disorders. I also have a significant amount of experience and training in working with people who have a history of incarceration in prison or jail. Chronic health conditions is another area that I have special experience in. I believe in treating everyone with respect, dignity, and compassion. I take joy in empowering my clients to successfully manage and cope with life's challenges. I don't believe in "one size fits all" when it comes to addressing such personal issues as those related to mental health and substance abuse. I will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan specific to your unique needs and goals, providing unbiased support and guidance along the way.
For many clients, the first session with a therapist or new therapist can create some anxiety and trepidation. In an effort to help you feel more informed and comfortable, I want to share some information with you about our first meeting. I will need to ask you questions but I want to assure you that the main goal of this session is not just to collect data. This session will be a time for us to start getting to know each other. I want to learn more about you as a person; your day to day life, your relationships, your interests, etc. I will encourage you and provide you the space to expand on the main issues that you wish to address in therapy and how these concerns impact your life. During this discussion, you can share as little or as much detail as you are comfortable with. I will also provide you the opportunity to address any questions or concerns that you may have for me.
While I take my work as a therapist very seriously, my communication and therapy styles are laid back and casual. My goal is to provide you with support and guidance to help you successfully reach your goals for therapy and to increase your life satisfaction and overall well-being. I will work with you to help you identify and build upon your strengths so you feel empowered to take on the obstacles and challenges that life sometimes puts in our path.
I am a gender-affirming therapist with experience in helping people from a wide array of cultural backgrounds, in all age groups, in varying life stages, from all variations of socioeconomic and family background as well as current life circumstances. Our work together is a team effort where open communication is key to successfully achieving your therapy and life goals. I am here to offer you a safe space to share and explore your thoughts, feelings, and life experiences without fear of judgement. I strongly encourage the individuals I work with to be open with me about our work together; sharing what is working for you and what isn’t.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that helps individuals understand how their beliefs and thought patterns about themselves, other people and the world effect their emotions and behaviors; essentially every aspect of how we live our day to day life. This form of therapy, which I have been practicing for over 20 years, has helped hundreds of people improve their mental and emotional health, life satisfaction and overall well-being.
Person-centered therapy is a form of talk therapy that offers support to individuals as they verbally process various concerns, problems, thoughts and feelings. This process allows clients to increase their self-awareness and insight at their own pace by following their own unique path. Rather than directing my client as to how to solve their problems, my role is to offer support and guidance that allows you to identify and utilize your strengths, empowering you to confidently navigate life's problems.
This therapeutic technique helps clients explore their past, identifying how past experiences impact current emotions and behaviors. When using this therapeutic technique, my clients find that they feel empowered because they have not only identified the source of self-defeating patterns that they have carried forward throughout their life but through our work, go on to develop strategies to break problematic patterns of behavior.
I have used psychoeducation, providing clients with education and information about various topics related to mental health, with every client I have worked with. I provide my clients with information and education on topics that are relevant to their life circumstances, relationships, and well-being. By learning more about conditions and topics that personally impact their life in some way, clients feel better equipped to address such concerns and to improve their personal relationships.