Welcome! Life can feel burdensome and sometimes, depending on our experiences, unbearable. I want to applaud you for reaching out for support, it takes a lot of strength and bravery to do so. Therapy is a wonderful tool to help make positive changes in your life. As a counselor, I feel like the therapeutic relationship is a key aspect of successful therapy. I also believe you are the expert on your life and goals and my role is to provide a safe and empathetic space for you to work towards being your best self. To do so I utilize various counseling theories including person-centered therapy, solution-focused therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. As a counselor, I will provide you with useful activities that help develop practical solutions and positive coping skills that can be utilized in various areas of your life. My educational background includes a Bachelor's of Science, specializing in psychology, a Master's of Education, specializing in counseling, both of which were obtained from Tarleton State University, and a licensed professional counselor through the state of Texas. I have 20 years of experience working with families, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse survivors as well as crisis intervention. I enjoy working with a diverse population, youth and adults alike. I hope to work with you and help you achieve your therapeutic goals!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Whether you are new to counseling or have been many times, the first session is time for you and I to get to know one another; making sure my expertise and your counseling needs align. Everyone has unique experiences that led them here; therefore, my first goal is to create a safe environment for you to gain trust in the counseling process. During the first session I will learn more about your needs, outline potential goals and provide time for you to ask me questions. I also want you to leave the first session with some helpful tools; therefore, I will work hard to identify healthier coping skill, resources, or other useful tools to discuss throughout the session. After this we will identify how to proceed with future services.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
As a therapist I understand one treatment method doesn't fit all; therefore, I utilize various counseling theories including person-centered therapy, solution-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and schema therapy, to name a few, to assist you with your unique needs. As a counselor, I will provide you with useful activities that help develop practical solutions and positive coping skills that can be utilized in various areas of your life. I also understand that people react to trauma differently; identifying healthy goals and expectations for your treatment plan is crucial in helping set you up for success. It isn't easy facing the experiences that have created distressful feelings, that is why one of the most important aspects of counseling I work on is trust.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Working with survivors of violent crime for over 20 years I have developed a passion for helping individuals and families that have experienced trauma and long for a life that feels stable, relationships feel secure and a healthy interpersonal relationship feels possible. Trauma presents itself in many ways, one major life event or multiple events that occur over time, it also impacts everyone differently. You may find that your experiences are influencing you personally or within your relationships; therefore, I work with individuals, couples and familes that need help managing their emotions, decreasing anxiety, increasing self-esteem, setting boundaries, learning to communicate healthier and decrease symptoms of post traumatic stress.