New to Grow
Hi, I’m Desiré, a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to supporting clients in finding strength, healing, and balance in their lives. I take a warm, collaborative approach, helping you explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors while building practical skills to manage stress, anxiety, and life’s challenges. My goal is to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you feel heard, empowered, and supported every step of the way.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we’ll take time to get to know each other and explore what brings you to therapy. I’ll ask questions about your background, current challenges, and goals, and we’ll talk about what you hope to achieve in our work together. This session is also your space to ask questions, share concerns, and get a sense of how we can work together. My goal is to create a safe, supportive environment where you feel heard and understood from the very beginning.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One of my greatest strengths is my ability to meet clients where they are and build a collaborative, supportive relationship. I combine evidence-based methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trauma-informed care, and person-centered approaches with a focus on each client’s unique strengths and resilience. I’m skilled at helping clients break down challenges into manageable steps, develop practical coping strategies, and gain insight into patterns that may be holding them back. My approach is warm, empathetic, and goal-oriented, helping clients feel empowered and confident as they work toward lasting change.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work with adolescents and adults who are ready to explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a supportive, nonjudgmental space. I often work with clients managing anxiety, depression, stress, or life transitions, as well as those navigating past trauma or seeking personal growth. My ideal clients are looking for practical tools and collaborative guidance to build coping skills, increase self-awareness, and feel more empowered in their daily lives.
Strength-Based
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive experience working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is for clients to be defined by diagnoses, deficits, or crises. The strengths-based treatment method shifts that lens completely. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong?” I start with, “What’s strong?”
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma-informed care guides how I approach every client. I recognize that many symptoms are adaptive responses to past trauma, so I focus on safety, transparency, and collaboration rather than pathology alone. I prioritize building trust, restoring choice, and integrating grounding and regulation skills to prevent re-traumatization. I also remain mindful of cultural and systemic factors that impact trauma. At its core, my approach centers on creating a safe, empowering space where meaningful healing can occur.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in a practical and collaborative way. I help clients slow down and explore how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, especially when they feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, depression, or negative self-beliefs. Together, we identify unhelpful thinking patterns and work to challenge and reframe them in a way that feels balanced and realistic. I incorporate tools like thought tracking, behavioral activation, and coping skills, while always tailoring interventions to the client’s pace and readiness. I value Cognitive Behavioral Therapy because it equips clients with tangible strategies they can use outside of session, helping them feel more empowered and confident in managing their mental health.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I practice from a Person-Centered approach by creating a therapeutic space grounded in empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard. I believe clients are the experts of their own lives, so I focus on listening deeply, reflecting insightfully, and allowing them to guide the direction of treatment. Rather than positioning myself as the authority, I show up as a collaborative partner, trusting that with the right support and environment, clients have the capacity for growth and healing. This approach helps build strong therapeutic rapport and allows clients to feel truly seen, heard, and valued throughout the process.