(she/her)
With an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts, I initially taught pre-school and kindergarten. After receiving my graduate degree in Social Service, I became the director of a high school for emotionally challenged girls, who were pregnant or parenting. My career included work at outpatient counseling centers and as a clinician in a geriatric psychiatric IOP. For 15 years I worked with patients at an inpatient hospital who were diagnosed with mood disorders, addiction issues or who were experiencing psychosis. I also provided counseling at a faith based hospital and for those coping with chronic illness. My last employment was as a Clinical Psychotherapy Supervisor for a team of therapists in the process of obtaining their clinical licenses.
During our first session, we will be focused on getting to know one another and will begin to form a therapeutic relationship. We can discuss if this feels like a "good fit" at the end of the session. We may talk about what brought you to therapy and what you might want to see change or evolve. It is also a time to ask questions about the process or about my practice. My aim is to help you feel safe, comfortable and cared for.
I believe learning how to engage in self-compassion and self-trust is key. How YOU learn personally and what YOU want to focus on is most important to me. Articles I've written are: "Embracing the Child Within" and "Mindful Parenting"
I enjoy working with a variety of diverse populations and am eclectic in my approach. I tend to be especially drawn to fertility and parenting challenges. Women's issues are a big interest, but I also enjoy working with men and people who identify themselves as non-binary. I find joy when working with people who want to improve the quality of their relationships and are more relational in approach.
Attachment-based
Our comfort within relationships often evolves from experiences we had when we were young. Works on developing healthy boundaries and effective communication tools.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Our internal self is made up of multiple parts which interact like a family (Inner Child work) When we can love all of our various parts, and engage in self-compassion, we feel more whole and accepted
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Assists with feeling more focused and present in our life; stress reduction