It is fair to say there are a lot of stressors in our society, some so large they can have a huge impact on how we enjoy and navigate our lives. I'm here to tell you it isn't all in your head, you're not alone, and it is ok to ask for help. I am a licensed clinical social worker offering virtual therapy to individuals in Louisiana and Texas. I utilize a client-centered approach, meaning you are the expert in your own life and I am here only to assist you in reaching your goals. Trauma-informed care is a very important part of the services I provide, as I specialize in working with survivors of trauma, with expertise in abuse and assault. I believe it is necessary to acknowledge traumatic experiences throughout our lives and how those experiences may shape our worldview. Trauma is incorporated into the majority of the work I do with clients, it looks different for us all but it exists in some capacity. I am lucky to have had opportunities in my career that have allowed me to expand my practice to include working with individuals experiencing chronic illnesses. I provide a space where folks with chronic illnesses can share openly about the confines of their illnesses and receive validation around those feelings, sometimes for the first time. Most of the time clients are having a very normal reaction to an abnormal situation, no one prepares us for the possibility of chronic illness and little support is available for those who experience it. Lastly, as a queer woman, it is important to me that I provide quality care for LGBTQ teens and adults. Too often, we cannot find providers who hold identities similar to our own. The last few years have allowed me to work with LGBTQ teens in my area and I have learned a great deal from them. I hope to continue this work for some time while growing my practice and providing quality care to anyone who is interested in working with me.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
As individuals, we are a part of many systems and often those systems can put pressure on us to perform, identify, or act in certain ways. Too often we internalize the difficulties we have in trying to meet these demands as failures, which affects our self-esteem, feelings around intimacy, ability to communicate, and more. My goal is to help you identify what you can control as a part of these systems in order to identify how to best reach your goals.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
The tools I utilize will always be dependent upon the individual I am working with. You are the expert in your own life and will always know which interventions are helpful and which are not. Some examples of interventions I like to explore with clients include; mood tracking, journaling, meditation, cognitive reframing, communication skills, art, and body movement. I do not prescribe homework unless it is requested.