I have an extensive history of working with high-risk infants and young children and detained adolescents and young adults who present with trauma in addition to co-occurring disorders and a significant number of economic barriers. I believe parenting and family healing are vital to successful outcomes when working with young children and adolescents. I have always worked in child welfare, so becoming a licensed mental health counselor was an easy transition. I have worked for several agencies, including the Department of Children and Families as well as other agencies aimed at child advocacy, child resilience, and child social-emotional protection. I am trained in infant mental health and nurturing parenting, and I am rostered in Florida to provide child-parent psychotherapy. I have years of experience working with parents to help them with bonding and attachment as well as helping their children achieve developmental milestones. I am most excited that communities of color as well as the LGBTQ+ population are finally being heard and research is finally being directed toward a clearer understanding of how race and systemic systems have impacted the mental health of the marginalized.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
I believe parents have an important job to do when it comes to raising emotionally intelligent children who are able to self-regulate, have resiliency, and develop appropriately in a safe and secure environment. It starts with the parents and that is the focus of my practice. I love to learn, and I take advantage of any opportunity I can to continue my education and learn new and innovative treatment modalities and techniques. I believe in a collaborative approach with other colleagues and I will exhaust every avenue of teamwork and training to be able to provide superior service to my clients.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
Outside of my current state license, I am certified in Infant Mental Health, as well as Child-Parent Psychotherapy which is an intervention model for children aged 0-6 who have experienced at least one traumatic event and/or are experiencing mental health, attachment, and/or behavioral problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder. I am a huge fan of the Cognitive Behavioral approach as it is my belief the way we feel impacts our thoughts and behaviors.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Being the youngest child in a huge family, I understand the impact birth order plays in shaping worldviews. Coming from a family of low socioeconomic status, I also know what it is like to have to fight hard for a place in this world to be seen, heard, and understood. Having several family members who struggled personally with mental illness as well as substance abuse, I am able to speak for parents and children on the impact all of those things can have on the future life of a parent or child.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Parents and Families (biological, adopted, fostered, step-parents) with children age birth to 18. I also work individually with children from age birth to 18.