LCSW, 32 years of experience
During a 13-year career in industry working as an engineer, I became inspired through a steady variety of volunteer work helping others within my community. I returned to school and earned my Master of Social Work degree. Recognizing that our body actively participates in all of our life experiences, I completed my Massage Therapy Certification. As I continued to work with more people in therapy, I learned about a novel approach that I could use to bridge these two disciplines, and I became a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner. I am licensed as a Clinical Social Worker and I virtually assist folks living in Florida, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. For over 30 years I have worked with people within adolescent, adult, and elder populations, US military veterans, and folks in the LGBTQIA+ community. Many have struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, gender incongruence, mood disorders, psychosis, substance use disorders, grief and loss, and chronic pain and illness.
Our first session together will be a time to get to know one another, and to be sure that my personality and approaches will best meet your needs. My goal is to hold a safe space where you can feel supported as you journey on your path to better health. Thank you for allowing me to work with you.
I believe that my ability to remain alongside you as you travel on your journey for healing and change, whatever that journey looks like, is a primary strength of mine. Many people seek "advice" and want to be told exactly what they need to do to make changes. By encouraging folks to be curious about their bodies, their thoughts, and their abilities, I am best able to assist them along the way in making their own discoveries for healing, solving challenges, and feeling better.
I believe that I am most helpful to folks who are open and willing to be curious and to learn about how their bodies play an important part in making the changes they desire. I have found that a blend of several therapeutic approaches has been useful to help people to grow and change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) creates an understanding about the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Mindfulness provides an array of powerful tools for folks to use to experience life in the moment rather than experiencing anxiety about the past or the future. And when people learn more about how their felt senses work, they can gain an awareness of how their bodies can participate in their healing process.
I have extensive training and experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the most evidence-based approaches for treating anxiety, depression, and a wide range of mental health concerns. I use CBT to help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns, challenge cognitive distortions, and build healthier, more empowering ways of thinking and behaving. Together, we will explore how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, which may be leading you to cycle through negative or unhelpful thought patterns or actions. We will process this together through individual therapy so you can experience positive changes in your emotions and actions.
Somatic awareness is central to helping the whole person to heal. It is a fact that the body and mind together form a complete person. My work is influenced by several schools of psychotherapy, therapeutic massage and somatic practices (bodywork), all of which help people to understand their bodies, injuries, emotional lives, relationships, illnesses and personal dynamics as part of their healing process. I will often integrate somatic practices into psychotherapy. My focus is on wellness and helping people to make the changes they desire. My areas of clinical expertise include pain, anxiety disorders and stress related problems, depression, trauma issues, relationship problems and life transitions. I am certified as a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP). I am also a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist (NCBTMB).
Have you ever found yourself getting stuck in the past with things you “should have, could have, or would have done?” Sometimes people get immobilized in patterns of regret, self-pity, and anger which render them unable to make changes while they use up a lot of valuable energy. Remember, this was the past, and it can’t be changed. And, sometimes people are always worrying about the future- what someone might say, how a situation may play out, or how something horrible or unmanageable might happen to them. I incorporate mindfulness-based therapy to help clients reconnect with the present moment, reduce reactivity, and develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation. I’ve used mindfulness approaches effectively with clients experiencing stress, anxiety, trauma, and burnout. Together, we explore breathwork, grounding techniques, and mindful self-compassion to create more space between thoughts, emotions, and actions. This approach supports healing at a deeper level, building not just insight, but resilience and self-connection.
I provide a specialization in holistic mental health care for folks in the LGBTQIA+ and gender fluid community in the areas of coming out, transitioning, gender incongruence, gender identity, and gender affirming HRT and surgery support (following the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care).