(she/her)
Hello and Welcome! Finding a therapist to work with is a challenging task. It’s time consuming. Finding the right therapist, a therapist that you believe is a good fit for you, is even more challenging. I’m going to tell you more about myself and my background to help you decide if I could be the right fit for you. I take a humanistic and person-centered approach to therapy. In humanistic psychology the belief is that each person is a distinct, individual being. A humanistic approach focuses on understanding ourselves and our complex emotions in relation to the broader aspects of our lives including relationships, career, family systems, and society. In non-clinical terms, I believe that our life experiences help shape us and it’s important to understand how the emotions and thoughts derived from those experiences impact us in the present. It’s important to me that any prospective client knows that I value connection in the therapy room. I have always believed that the most important aspect of good or effective therapy is the therapeutic relationship held between therapist and client. If I want to help a potential client explore and understand complex emotions, thoughts, and experiences then it’s essential that they feel comfortable doing so. Taking a person-centered approach to therapy means knowing that each individual client will process and experience emotions in a different way. I will utilize different therapeutic interventions based on individual client needs because I don’t believe there is a one size fits all answer to progress.
In the very first session I am focused on getting to know you and what brought you to therapy. I will ask background and history questions but also focus on building rapport, even asking about your hobbies and interests. We may also touch upon goals for therapy overall, and I will answer any questions you may have about therapy or the process.
I am trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Motivational Interviewing. I also focus on psychoeducation regarding the impacts of trauma on the brain, and how attachment style affects interpersonal relationships and family dynamics.
I pride myself on my ability to develop a strong rapport with my clients. As a person I value connection and this extends to my work as a therapist. While it is my job to provide skills and feedback, I also want to get to know my clients for the people that they are. A person-centered approach helps me do this. I give clients the space to tell their stories and be themselves. I'm empathetic and compassionate. I am validating, and I'm also direct and straight forward. I follow up on goals set to see if there has been progress or if they need to be changed or modified in any way.
I have spent the majority of my mental health career working with adolescents (teenagers) ages 12-18 and young adults transitioning into college and adulthood. I work well with adults who may be struggling with anxiety, depression, and in general work or relationship stressors. I have also worked extensively with anyone struggling with an eating disorder, but have knowledge on how struggling with an eating disorder can cause unique and stressful challenges for the LGBTQ + population.