LCSW, 8 years of experience
New to Grow
I earned my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California in 2018, and my doctorate from Tulane University in 2024. My doctoral research explores the impact of secondary traumatic stress on foster parents. I am currently a therapist at Wellroot Family Services LLC, where I works with youth and foster parents involved in the child welfare system. I am also an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University, where I master's-level students and provide counseling to youth with intellectual disabilities through the University's Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth. My volunteer work includes providing play therapy at Amana Academy Charter School, counseling students on issues such as anxiety, depression, self-regulation, and low self-esteem and serving on the Board of Directors of Covenant House Georgia and Amana Academy.
What a First Session with Me Looks Like When you sign in for your first session, the goal is to create a safe, welcoming space where you feel heard, respected, and understood. I take a compassionate, trauma-informed, and strength-based approach, which means that right from the start, I focus on your strengths, resilience, and capacity for growth. Getting to Know You We’ll begin by talking about you—your life, your experiences, and what brings you to therapy. For youth and families, this may include discussing relationships, school or home experiences, and areas where you want support. For teens and adults, we might focus on current stressors, mental health concerns, or goals for emotional growth. My aim is to get a clear understanding of your unique needs, preferences, and strengths. Exploring Goals and Strengths Together, we’ll explore what you hope to get out of therapy and identify your existing strengths and coping skills. I help clients recognize what they already do well, and we use these strengths as building blocks for healing and growth. Tailoring the Approach Based on your needs, I may explain different therapeutic approaches I use—such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), attachment-based strategies, or skill-building exercises—and discuss which approaches might fit best for you. For youth, sessions may include playful or creative activities that help express feelings and build emotional regulation skills. For adults and teens, sessions might involve reflection, skill-building, and strategies for managing stress, anxiety, or unhelpful thought patterns. Building Connection and Trust A first session is also about beginning to build a trusting relationship. I aim to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can feel comfortable sharing your experiences and emotions. For youth and foster parents, this includes fostering safety, connection, and understanding within the family system. Next Steps Before the session ends, we’ll talk about the next steps, including potential goals, session frequency, and any practical strategies you can begin to try between sessions. You leave knowing that therapy is a collaborative process, and you are an active partner in shaping the path forward.
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to combine empathy with a trauma-informed and strength-based perspective. I deeply value understanding each client’s lived experience, validating their feelings, and meeting them with compassion. This empathetic foundation allows clients to feel truly seen and heard, creating the safety and trust necessary for meaningful growth and healing. I work with a wide range of clients, including youth, families, caregivers, teens, and adults. Across populations, I focus on helping clients recognize and build upon their inherent resilience and strengths, showing them that even in the face of difficult experiences, they have the capacity to thrive. I strive to empower clients not only to navigate challenges but to develop confidence in their own abilities and make choices that support their well-being. My approach stands out because I integrate evidence-based methods with individualized care. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, attachment-based strategies to strengthen relationships and foster trust, and play or experiential therapies to engage youth and clients with developmental differences in meaningful ways. I tailor each intervention to meet the unique needs, developmental level, and strengths of every client, ensuring therapy is both practical and impactful. Empathy also informs my focus on relational and emotional growth. I help youth cultivate emotional regulation and social skills, while supporting adults and teens in developing coping strategies, improving self-esteem, and enhancing resilience against stress, anxiety, and depression. For families and caregivers, I emphasize understanding, communication, and relational connection, fostering environments where healing and empowerment extend beyond individual sessions. The outcomes of my work reflect this approach: clients often experience stronger relationships, greater self-awareness, increased confidence, and practical skills for navigating life’s challenges. By combining empathy, skill-building, and a focus on resilience, I help you recognize your value, embrace your strengths, and create lasting positive change in your life.
As a therapist, I take a compassionate, trauma-informed, and strength-based approach in supporting youth, families, and caregivers. My work focuses on helping clients recognize and build on their existing strengths, resilience, and capacity for growth, even when facing challenging life experiences. I aim to create a safe and supportive environment where clients can heal from trauma, strengthen relationships, and move toward greater emotional well-being and self-confidence. I provide therapy for teens and adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress, supporting clients in identifying unhelpful thought patterns, improving self-esteem, and developing practical tools for emotional stability and resilience. My approach combines insight, skill-building, and relational support, helping clients feel more confident and capable in their daily lives. I also work with foster youth and parents to strengthen relationships, promote emotional regulation, and cultivate trust and safety. I use approaches such as attachment-based therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and play therapy to design individualized, developmentally appropriate interventions that foster healing and connection. Through my work with youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities I focus on empowerment, self-awareness, and skill-building, helping each client recognize that they are capable, valued, and resilient.
CBT can help clients understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is especially helpful in my work with those experiencing depression and anxiety. Together, we’ll identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck and work on practical skills to help you think in healthier ways and take actions that support your goals. The goal is for you to feel more in control and confident in managing challenges both now and in the future.
Attachment-based therapy is a modality especially helpful in my work with clients who have experienced family disruptions. Sometimes, experiences like loss, trauma, neglect, or inconsistent care can make it difficult to feel safe or trust people. These early experiences can influence how we respond in relationships today—whether we pull away, become anxious, or have trouble expressing our needs. Attachment-Based Therapy helps by providing a safe, supportive space where we can explore those patterns together. We look at how past experiences may be affecting your current relationships, emotions, and sense of self. The goal is not to blame the past, but to understand it so you can begin to heal and create healthier ways of relating to others.
In our work together, I use an approach called Trauma-Informed Care. This means that I understand many people have experienced difficult or painful events in their lives—sometimes things that were overwhelming, frightening, or left a lasting impact. These experiences can affect how we see the world, how we relate to others, and even how our bodies and emotions respond to stress. Trauma-Informed Care doesn’t focus only on what’s ‘wrong’ with you, but instead on what’s happened to you and how those experiences might be influencing your feelings, behaviors, and relationships today. The goal is to help you feel safe, respected, and in control as we work together.