(she/her)
New to Grow
I am a clinically licensed social worker. I went back to school at 54 after a 30 plus year career in special education and early intervention. My passion and gifts center on helping people overcome overwhelming life challenges and life transitions. I am trained in EMDR, CBT, DBT, and CAMS to assist you in overcoming trauma, changing negative thought patterns, and regulating intense emotions and self-harm behaviors. My focus is to make you feel welcome in an accepting environment that allows you to be transparent and vulnerable in a way that brings healing for you.
Our first session will consist of an assessment where I can get to know you better and find out what you expect to get out of counseling. The initial assessment is my chance to get an overall picture of who you are, where you want to focus, and the results you would like to have at the end of our counseling sessions.
My greatest strengths are experience and imperfection. I also know what traumatic life experiences that you have no control over feel like. When life takes a turn that you did not expect or plan for, it can become very dark and feel like it is never ending. However, doing the work that sometimes feels like crawling out of a hole opens a person up to a lot of growth and insight not known before.
I believe I am best suited for helping older clients (18 and above) who are in a life transition either due to aging, parental alienation/estrangement or facing a life challenging medical condition (cancer, heart failure). I also feel comfortable working with patients with severe mental health disorders such as psychosis and personality disorders, and suicidal ideation. Lastly, I was a special education teacher for over 30 years so working with individuals with disabilities comes naturally for me.
EMDR
I prefer using this method in person but have used it successfully via telehealth, too. EMDR is effective for reprocessing traumatic memories that cause distress. I have used it with clients who report grief, depression, and PTSD.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
This is one of my favorite tools that can be used for depression, anxiety, and relationship problems. The focus is to highlight client skills and resources for self-efficacy. This is a strength-based treatment modality that puts you at the center of your growth and healing.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a great tool to use with clients who experience distorted thinking patterns like "all or nothing" or "catastrophizing," to name a few. There are many good tools to use with clients to help them manage life challenges.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have used this method primarily with clients who experience intense emotional reactions as well as suicidal ideation.