New to Grow
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California with more than 15 years of experience working with clients who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, and grief. I also hold a certification in the treatment of perinatal health disorders including mood changes during pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety. My approach is collaborative and I use evidence based therapies to help you move in the direction of your goals.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
During our first session, we will spend time getting to know each other. One of the most important parts of therapy is the connection between the therapist and the client and so it is important that you feel a connection is possible with your therapist and choose a good match. Also in this visit, we'll go over your intake form and I'll ask you clarifying questions about your background to have a better understanding of you. I'll go over my policies with you and answer any questions you might have for me. You don't need to prepare for this visit in any way beyond the questionnaires you fill out beforehand. At this first visit, I aim to understand what your hopes are and so we can begin forming a plan of action.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One of my biggest goals for therapy is for you to no longer feel you need it. Good therapy is time limited and will empower you to trust yourself and use coping strategies you can depend on throughout your life, long after therapy has ended.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Emotions we experience are very much tied to our thoughts. Sometimes thoughts are so ingrained, we aren't even aware we are having them but they still determine how we feel. These thoughts are not always true or helpful and so in therapy, part of our work is to hold up them up to the light at all angles and decide if they are worth keeping around. This is the central work in therapy when feeling stuck is rooted in old stories and beliefs.
Interpersonal
For many clients, therapy is time limited and focused on addressing issues in targeted areas including transitions, grief and loss, social challenges, isolation, and practical needs that aren't being met. This is often the approach in therapy for pregnant and postpartum clients who find themselves in a new demanding role with changing relationships and often are trying to adapt to these changes on not enough sleep and limited support. I am a certified perinatal mental health therapist and have been working with perinatal clients for more than a decade. I am also a mother and know what it's like to experience postpartum struggles and a disruption in sense of identity.
Psychoeducation
Information is power - this applies to mental health also. Understanding how emotions work puts us in a powerful position to respond with intention. I have years of experience teaching mental health classes in a large health care organization with topics including anxiety, depression, grief, mindfulness, insomnia, communication, and managing stress.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
For some clients, a feeling of being stuck or "misaligned" can happen when our time and actions do not line up with what we care about most. A careful evaluation and adjustment of this alignment can lead to a feeling of freedom in life. As humans, we also tend to carry around wishes about what we'd like to be different. In therapy, we'll explore what can be changed and work on accepting what can't be changed.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I like to weave in skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy because they are great maps to use when managing emotions and deciding how to move forward in life. We often survive difficult situations with coping strategies that seem to work well in the moment but often stop working or even get in the way over time. In order to get rid of some of these coping strategies, we can replace them with newer, more helpful ones. These skills can become lifelong go-to tools we can rely on.