(he/him)
I'm a compassionate professional who takes the time to truly listen and understand where you're coming from. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, difficulties with relationships, or something else, my goal is to support you in making meaningful changes that help you feel better and live more fully. I’ll meet you where you are, offering empathy, insight, and practical guidance every step of the way.
In our first session, I want to get to know you. What brought you to meet with me? If you were "better", what would that look like? We will of course talk about lots of parts of your life. Your family, your work, your physical and emotional health history... I need to understand and know about many parts of your life to best help you. By the end of our first meeting, my goal is to have a shared understanding of what goals we have for our work together.
I am an empathic person who is interested in and gets people. That's probably why I became a psychologist in the first place. I have done the work I ask my clients to do, so I understand what it is like. I form strong relationships, and these form the base for the work I do with my clients. We'll do lots of talking, but therapy is about reaching goals. I am very creative, and will help you find new ways to understand yourself and feel "better"... whatever that may mean for you.
I help people see their problems in a new light. People who come to me have tried to make things in their lives better, and it just hasn't worked. You will feel cared about, I got into this work because I care about people. Because I care, I will tell you hard things if you need to hear them. My job is to help you find solutions that will work. It isn't magic, and therapy takes work... on my part and on yours. But if you are willing to do your part, I will be there every step of the way to help you.
The way you think, feel, and behave are interrelated. If you have a lot of negative thoughts (particularly ones that are automatic and that you are not very aware of), your mood will be negatively impacted. I find that if you can identify and change negative thinking, issues with the way you feel will improve. I work to help people change negative thinking patterns, many of which involve thinking that is harmful and not accurate.
Many of the problems people deal with related to their mental health are related to interpersonal relationships. Human relationships are complex. We all have our own ways of being in relationships that stem from our experiences, personality, and background among many other things. Sometimes, our interpersonal styles cause us problems in ways we don't understand or can't see. I work with people to help them understand their interpersonal style, the impact it has on their choices and behavior, and how choosing to relate to people differently can help them to be emotionally healthier.
Not every form of therapy is effective for all people or all issues. I have been trained to use many different types of therapy with my clients. I seek to utilize a therapeutic approach that will be helpful to each individual with whom I work. The therapy approach needs to fit you, and I work to make sure it does.