I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and families navigate emotional challenges, build healthier relationships, and develop confidence in their ability to heal and grow. With a compassionate, client-centered approach, it offers a safe, supportive environment where clients can explore difficult emotions, unpack stress patterns, and learn practical tools for meaningful change. I have experience in supporting clients experiencing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, self-doubt, low motivation, relational conflict, and life transitions. She values collaboration and believes each person’s story is unique. Therefore, therapy is tailored to meet clients where they are, honoring their lived experiences while empowering them to move forward with clarity and resilience. Her work integrates evidence-based practices with warmth, empathy, and respect, helping clients strengthen communication, reduce stress responses, challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, and reconnect with their sense of self. Desma is passionate about guiding clients toward emotional balance, personal insight, and improved daily functioning so they can experience life with greater confidence and connection. Whether you’re seeking support for personal growth, relationship concerns, or mental and emotional wellness, I am committed to walking alongside you on your healing journey.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we’ll take time to get to know one another and begin exploring what brought you to therapy. I’ll invite you to share your concerns, current challenges, and the goals you’d like to work toward. Together, we’ll discuss your history, what’s been affecting your emotional well-being or relationships, and what you hope to gain from our work. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions, talk about your expectations, and get a sense of my therapeutic style. My priority is to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can speak openly at your own pace. We’ll collaboratively develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs, and by the end of the session you’ll have a clearer understanding of the direction of therapy and what our time together will look like moving forward.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strength is my ability to identify patterns, support emotional awareness, and help clients reduce anxiety and improve daily functioning. My greatest strength is helping individuals and couples communicate more effectively, understand their emotional triggers, and build meaningful connection.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I love working with young adults, adults, couples, and seniors with mild to moderate of undesired behaviors. I espically lobe working with couples (heterosexual/same sex couples).
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. CBT is a very helpful tool — either alone or in combination with other therapies — in treating mental health disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or an eating disorder. CBT can be an effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Focusing on one's trauma related behaviors/symptoms in response to their traumatic experience.