LPC, 5 years of experience
Hello! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Connecticut. I received both my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Fairfield University and have been practicing for 5 years. I have considerable experience with clients ages 8-30 years old, am very strong in helping clients struggling with anxiety (generalized, social and phobias), emotional dysregulation, self-esteem, life transitions (such as high school to college, college to the 'real world' etc.!), child-parent conflict (I am certified in MDFT, an evidenced-based family therapy model), ADHD and grief/loss. I also have a passion for working with clients who have Tourette's Syndrome, as I know there are not many resources out there for individuals with this disorder and want to be that person they can come and talk to.
In the first session, we will start with brief introductions, possibly a rapport-building activity, and then we would get right to talking about what brings them in. I am good at adjusting the first session based on the client's readiness!
Having been in the field for 5 years, I pride myself in my empathy and compassion, but also love to infuse humor into my sessions so long as the client is comfortable with it. I am flexible, though, and am strong at adjusting my own mentality to meet the clients where they are at. I am also creative and like to bring it into my sessions, as I feel art can be a great way to explore and heal. I am also strong in helping clients to 'connect the dots' in identifying their triggers, conceptualizing cases and creating treatment plans that are gradual and attainable, because progress is what I look for, but I also do not want me clients to feel overwhelmed by their goals. I also bring fun into my sessions with games, (art as I mentioned), worksheets, activities etc. I am strong at helping my clients to feel safe and comfortable in their sessions, and want them to know I am here for them.
I love working with all of the ages I have experience with so far, but ages 8-30 are what I prefer. I am very flexible with my styles and excel with meeting my clients where they are at. I love working with clients with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, Tourette's Syndrome, etc. I am most passionate about working with clients eager to improve but just do not have the tools to meet their goals individually. Life is stressful and I want to help them.
I have been using CBT since I was an intern and always keep it in my back pocket. I love to use activities, games and worksheets to help my clients work through negative thought processes, combat anxious thoughts and improve overall self-esteem.
This is how I always enter my sessions; my main focus is to help my clients to feel comfortable, validated and safe. I aspire to help my clients identify their personal strengths and work with them collaboratively to help them utilize these strengths in every day life.
Sometimes all clients need is motivation, and MI has been a great tool for myself and clients. I use it to help them to explore the aspect of change, and to analyze how they may go about doing this. I find this very useful with my teenage clients!
Play therapy is a wonderful way for me to connect with my younger clients, but a great deal of my older clients have appreciated the use of games and activities in our sessions to help them identify triggers and learn skills.
In my opinion, compassion is key to success in any situation or relationship both in AND out of therapy. I find it helps my clients to learn they are not alone in their struggles, but they are also not weak, and have the strength to overcome challenges. Furthermore, I use this approach to help them to be more compassionate with themselves. We are often our own harshest critic, and sometimes TOO harsh. Self-kindness is so important.