Welcome! I am a clinical social worker licensed in Michigan with 30 years of experience in the field and 7 years providing mental health therapy using evidenced based practices. I received my Bachelor of Social Work from Northern Michigan University in 1991 and my Master of Social Work from Michigan State University in 2003. I am a certified EMDR therapist and have certification in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy. I am trained in full model Dialectical behavioral therapy and incorporate these evidenced based treatments into my practice.
During our first session we will spend time getting to know one another. I will ask questions to learn more about you and invite you to ask questions so that you have a good sense of who I am. We will talk about the factors that led you to treatment and develop your therapy goals. This is an opportunity for me develop a solid vision of what you need from me and allows you an opportunity to make sure that I am the right fit for your needs.
I went into this field because I truly care about people! I have a lot of lived experience in addition to my work experience and that helps me understand and empathize with people facing challenges. My caring and dialectical approach will allow me to meet you where you are while gently encouraging you to take steps towards meeting your goals.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a structured, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions and behaviors. I provide a space where we can explore your patterns and consider where some of the thought/feeling/behavior patterns originated. Often people have automatic negative thoughts. When you become aware of them, you have more power to challenge and change them. This may involve keeping records of your thoughts and sharing them in session so we can develop strategies to challenge them. Behavior activation allows you to change your behavior to influence your thoughts and emotions. It may be necessary to look back in your life and understand where some of your negative thought patterns originated. You can develop new ways of coping with challenges that come up in your life through the work we will do together.
I am a Certified EMDR therapist and a part of the EMDRIA community. Often people find that they repeat the same behavior pattern over and over, even when they don't want to. After making sure that I have a good understanding of your history, we will begin to develop resources that you can use throughout the treatment process. The client identifies something they would like to change in their life and we will work together to discover the root and use the transformative powers of EMDR to empower you and build resilience so that you can heal and grow!
I became certified in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy in 2018. This treatment is intended for youth under the age of 18 and will require a parent or caregiver to participate as they are an instrumental part of the healing process. The treatment will begin with psychoeducation to learn what trauma is and the symptoms that commonly occur after a traumatic event. The treatment will involve parents learning skills and strategies to support their child and children learning to manage their affect, behavior and thought patterns. The child will develop a trauma narrative that will be a key part of this therapy, and a powerful tool for helping children heal from traumatic experiences.
I am trained in full model dialectical behavioral therapy and have done group work with parents and adolescents. This treatment incorporates daily mindfulness practice and teaches skills that help clients regulate emotions, tolerate distress, and keep relationships with others in good standing. By learning and incorporating the skills into your everyday life, you can move towards your life worth living goals.
When children are struggling, the opportunity to experience healing within the parent/child relationship offers many benefits. I believe that all parents want the best for their child and are doing the best they can. By joining with the parent and the child, I have the opportunity to teach parents new information so they can “win an agreement” rather than an argument. I can help parents reinforce behaviors they want to see in their child and extinguish the behaviors that need to change. Parent and child can practice new things together so they can deepen and strengthen their connection.