LPC, 22 years of experience
New to Grow
Many people are struggling with common issues. Sometimes all we need is just a little help to navigate the challenges that life presents. What we ultimately learn is that life's obstacles add up to exactly what we needed to develop us into who we were meant to be. If trauma has invaded your journey, breathe.....help is here. I am ready to help you lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we cannot change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to use those situations to help you grow, and understand life's twists and turns. As a cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapist, I can assist you in healing from past trauma. I can help you feel empowered with resources and skills through the use of EMDR therapy. When you are reprocessing memories from trauma you need a therapist who can give you the resources to cope in order to process safely.
A first therapy session is usually focused on building rapport and gathering background information rather than diving deeply into problem-solving right away. The therapist’s goal is to create a safe, comfortable space and begin understanding the client’s story. Typically, it includes: Introductions and confidentiality review: The therapist explains how therapy works, what to expect, and the limits of confidentiality. Discussion of goals and concerns: The client shares what brought them to therapy—specific issues, symptoms, or life challenges. Personal and background history: The therapist may ask about family, relationships, work, health, and previous therapy experiences to understand context. Exploring hopes and expectations: The therapist helps the client identify what they want to gain from therapy. Next steps: I outline a treatment plan, discuss frequency of sessions, and offer initial coping tools or insights. Overall, the first session sets the tone for collaboration, trust, and a shared sense of direction in the therapeutic process.
My greatest strengths lie in my ability to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel truly seen and heard. What stands out about my therapeutic approach is my blend of warmth, empathy, and insight. I help clients uncover the patterns beneath their struggles and guide them toward clarity and self-acceptance. My clients often say they leave sessions feeling calmer, more hopeful, and better equipped to handle challenges. In regard to results, my greatest strengths include being practical, goal-oriented, and attuned to each client’s pace of progress. What stands out about my approach is my integration of CBT and DBT techniques to help clients reframe distorted thoughts, regulate emotions, and build lasting coping skills. Clients often appreciate that therapy feels active and collaborative, with clear tools they can use outside of sessions.
I'm a retired educator and many of my clients are educators themselves. When entering therapy it's important to have a GROWTH MINDSET (as opposed to a FIXED MINDSET). This is helpful in therapy because it fosters resilience and motivation for change. When clients adopt a growth mindset, they begin to see challenges, setbacks, and mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than as personal failures. This perspective encourages persistence in therapy, openness to feedback, and self-compassion during difficult moments. It helps clients replace rigid, self-limiting beliefs (“I’ll never get better”) with more adaptive ones (“I can learn new ways to cope and improve over time”), supporting long-term emotional healing and personal development.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach used to help clients process and heal from traumatic or distressing experiences. The client is guided to recall a troubling memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation—usually through side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or sounds. This dual focus helps the brain reprocess the memory so it becomes less emotionally charged and more integrated into normal memory networks. The distressing images, thoughts, and feelings of the traumatic memory are desensitized and lose their intensity, allowing the client to gain new insights and a sense of resolution. I use EMDR to treat PTSD, anxiety, phobias, grief, or negative self-beliefs, and it’s typically incorporated into a broader treatment plan that includes grounding, stabilization, and talk therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients recognize and change distorted or unhelpful thought patterns that influence emotions and behaviors. I work with the client to identify automatic negative thoughts—like “I’m a failure” or “Nothing ever works out for me”—and examine the evidence for and against them. Through guided questioning and reflection, the client learns to reframe these thoughts into more balanced, realistic perspectives. For example, “I failed once” becomes “I had a setback, but I can try again.” Over time, this process helps reduce anxiety, depression, and self-defeating behaviors, while promoting healthier thinking and emotional resilience.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is used to help clients manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and reduce self-destructive behaviors. In practice, it combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness and acceptance strategies. I teach clients specific skills in four key areas: Mindfulness – staying present and aware without judgment. Distress Tolerance – coping with crises without making things worse. Emotion Regulation – understanding and managing strong feelings. Interpersonal Effectiveness – communicating needs and setting healthy boundaries. DBT is often used with individuals who struggle with emotional dysregulation, such as those with borderline personality disorder, trauma histories, or chronic anxiety. It’s typically delivered through individual therapy, and coaching between sessions to help clients apply these tools in real-life situations.