LICSW, 20 years of experience
New to Grow
Hello! I have 20+ Years in the helping profession, including street work with homeless people, community development in Africa, institutional mental health, end-of-life care, resettlement with refugees, and multimodal therapy as Master level LICSW... “I can’t wait to work together! Whatever Challenge you’re facing, we will make sense of the thoughts and feelings. We'll find a way forward that you can Feel Good about.” My journey began as an in-home Caregiver for people with disabilities or providing end-of-life care while I completed a Master in Social Work. I volunteered in Africa with the Peace Corps. I spent years in community Mental Health where I earned my License helping people with psychotic disorders. To be more effective, I am pursuing advanced training in a range of Best-Practice modalities, including CBT, EMDR, DBT, and IFS. Most recently, I've been working with Refugees from all over the world to build new lives in the US. And... I’m a Husband and Father. Therapy is my strong passion. If I can help just one person embrace life more fully, it's been a good day.
In our first session, I'll be eager to discover what motivated you to reach out for support at this moment in time. First, I want you to have the opportunity to be Heard and Understood. A favorite quote by Henry David Thoreau... “It takes two to speak the truth: one to speak, and another to hear.” So, we’ll begin with you.
I bring a full range of life experience and training to provide you with the best-fit therapy (CBT, MI, DBT, EMDR, IFS, Christian Ministry). We will focus on YOUR goals for therapy and take it at your pace. As we make progress in tackling challenges, I provide education about applied Psychology, Mindfulness, and Emotional intelligence so that you will emerge with more of your own Tools.
If you are facing a challenge, I want to work with you. It takes courage to sign up for therapy. That means you're ready for change. I'm eager to partner with you!
We start by recognizing your core human needs (security, effectiveness, and belonging) and how those needs relate to life challenges. We understand how emotions communicate what we're needing, and we problem solve! How would I be feeling if my needs were met? What would I need to be doing to feel that way?
I am specifically trained in EMDR, which we use to compassionately heal from trauma. Past trauma can feel like a hundred broken shards of glass. EMDR help us sweep up those pieces and make sense of the whole story. Please see the Japanese art of Kintsugi!
Internal Family System is the "who" of therapy. Which part of me is trying to hold things together and which part of me is desperate to escape the negative emotions? Behind these is my Exile, the part that's hurting. With compassion and insight, you can bring healing to the part of you that is hurting.
I am a committed Christian and am trained in ministry as well as psychology. If you would like counseling from a Biblical perspective, I'd be pleased to walk a bit of that journey with you.