(she/her)
Hi. My name is Keppi and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I believe what drew me to this profession was the idea of getting to hold space with someone and just listen. Helping them them discover the best versions of themselves. It is about listening, building awareness and understanding. I believe that unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior come from being stuck. The "stuckness" comes from experiencing chronic trauma, incident trauma or core messages that become imbedded into our identities. It is so powerful to support a person as they work toward the best versions of themselves.
Our first session would be focused on building rapport and listening. I believe that it is important for therapy to be a good fit for both client and therapist. The first session is a great way for both of us to get to know each other and for a client to get a feel for how the process will work. Many people begin therapy when they are feeling really rough. In the first session it is important to gather information and normalize feelings. I believe that sharing information can feel scary and shameful at times. It is important to acknowledge those feelings and then work toward other ways of interpreting and responding in all areas of their lives.
I have been fortunate to have had many different experiences in this field. I learned that there is always something to learn from each experience. I think that has helped me stay open to try new things and find comfort in being uncomfortable. I am very passionate in my work. The curiosity and wonder have continued throughout my career. My favorite supervisor once told me that there are many theories and techniques that a therapist can master but by far the most important part of the work is the relationship. That is the sentiment that I bring to each session. I would say that I have a knack for working with kids and youth. I’m told that I’m disarming and I love to to be creative in therapy. An example would be when I worked with twins who were adopted at birth. Unfortunately one of the twins had a medical issue at birth so he stayed in the hospital while the other went home. I met them when they were five . They were pretty aggressive to people but mostly toward each other. In sessions I created opportunities for them to increase connection. I created an obstacle course for them that would prompt them to work together . I believe that activities like this helped them heal from the abandonment they both experienced when they were separated at their birth. I will always look for the best way to support clients and I love finding creative solutions .
I love working with all ages. I enjoy play therapy and love to use what I call "guided play therapy" with children, which is processing real life scenarios using puppets and toys. It allows the children to express themselves in a detached, emotionally safe manner. I also enjoy working with teenagers. I have worked with this population in both school and clinic settings. I find that when working with teenagers, it is important to build a safe and comfortable environment and focus on the connection before anything else. My experience with adults has been with couples therapy, family therapy and co occurring disorders. I have taught parenting classes for over 20 years. I find that the Positive Discipline Parenting can be very helpful to parents. Overall, I am comfortable working with any age group.
Other specialties
I identify as
Trauma-Focused CBT
I use CBT to support clients' ability to examine the thought processes and core messages that keep them stuck in behavioral patterns. I help them build awareness and intentionality in decision making and actions. I promote emotionally regulation techniques to support their ability to remain in the moment instead of living in both past trauma and future worries.