LCSW, 14 years of experience
Hello! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and have over 12 years experience helping people manage symptoms of anxiety, including Social Anxiety, OCD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. My current practice focuses on helping women manage symptoms related to anxiety. Some of these symptoms include excessive worrying, rumination, irritability, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, and and excessive reassurance seeking. I work with women of all races, but especially women of color and mixed race women. My goal is to help you find relief from your symptoms so you can get back to the life that you've been missing out on. In addition to helping you find relief from anxiety symptoms, I also offer talk therapy for women adjusting to life's transitions, including but not limited to: Relationship changes, job changes, new child in the home, new diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, etc.
In your first session, we'll discuss why you've taken this courageous step to start therapy. I'll want to gather some history from you in order to better understand your past and patterns. We’ll discuss your goals for therapy and any concerns. We’ll then discuss your schedule and availability for future sessions. If at any point it feels like this isn’t the best match for either of us then we’ll discuss how I can assist you in continuing to find a therapist that’s a better match for you. My goal is to make you feel at ease, but to also help you reach your goals, whether that’s with me or someone else.
I’m really great at what I do because of my own life experiences. I’ve had to work really hard to get to where I am today and I’ve battled my whole life. I have OCD and ADHD, and I also suffer from an autoimmune disorder. I know how hard it is to grow up with childhood adversities and manage the residual effects of that. I grew up in a single parent household and in poverty, so I especially relate to those that have had a similar upbringing. I am of mixed race, my mother is from El Salvador and my father is half Black and half White. Growing up mixed race was not easy and I endured a lot of ignorance from others. It's hard to find others that can relate to the intersectionality of the mixed experience, so that is something that is definitely unique to my practice. Because of my own struggles with anxiety, OCD, and depression, I offer very practical ways to help people cope with their anxiety and depression, and have very realistic expectations of myself and of others. I’m extremely down to earth and relatable, and those are qualities that I look for in my own therapist. I’m not conventional or what someone would expect in a therapist. I consider myself to be “alternative,” artistic, and eccentric. I love working with mixed women and women of color, and helping them build their confidence, self-compassion, and find out what they are passionate about in life! I am particularly great with working with women that have a history of anxiety, OCD, and panic disorders. I also have extensive history working with women with trauma and multigenerational trauma.
My clients are women over the age of 18 years old that are struggling with symptoms of anxiety such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, OCD, and Panic Disorder. My clients typically come to therapy because they are missing out on life and are tired of letting their anxiety getting in the way. My clients are typically ambitious individuals, goal driven, and high achieving. My clients are motivated for treatment and ready to do the work necessary to improve their current situation. If you are specifically looking for therapy to treat OCD, then I utilize Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP is considered the gold-standard to treat OCD. ERP is highly effective, however, it depends on the client's willingness to do homework and do homework consistently. If this sounds like you, then we might be a good fit. If you feel like your anxiety is holding you back from reaching your goals in life or experiencing exciting things, then let me help you get that control back!
Extensive training in CBT to help decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts.
I use Brainspotting to help clients process trauma and difficult situations. This is considered to be a cutting-edge therapy modality and is considered effective, especially with the BIPOC community, as it involves very little verbal communication and does not require the client to go in depth about the traumatic event.
I am trained in ERP to treat OCD. ERP is considered the "gold standard" for OCD treatment.
I am trained in DBT to help clients navigate strong emotions and improve their relationships.
IPT, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, is a treatment that I am certified in and I use it to help clients increase their social supports in order to decrease distress, anxiety, and depression.