Are you finding that you are often misunderstood, disappointed or frustrated? Are you interested in developing ways to cope with the various demands in your life? Seeking therapy takes incredible courage. As you begin this journey of self-discovery, I recognize you may be nervous, overwhelmed or confused about what therapy entails. I’d love to share a bit about my approach to see if I’d be a good fit in helping you achieve your goals. There is tremendous insight that can be gained from reflecting on early childhood/adolescent experiences to identify the origin of behaviors and patterns. However, my therapeutic emphasis is on helping you move forward to live the life you desire by utilizing your inherent strengths and increasing self-awareness. I use a variety of approaches including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness and behavioral activation. Simply put, we will explore the connections between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to unearth the patterns that have been hindering your quality of life. Clients tell me that I am warm, engaging, deeply empathetic and present in the moment to help them navigate pertinent issues. I also believe there is value in challenging clients to help them identify patterns and explore different viewpoints. My areas of special interest include life transitions, relationship issues, immigrant communities and third culture experiences.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session is an intake where I will be asking more questions than usual to gather information. It is very important that we clearly identify the issues you'd like to address and your goals so we can measure progress throughout therapy. Initial sessions will be highly structured, solution-focused, and will include homework to practice skills/techniques. However, there is always an opportunity for you to discuss what you would like during sessions. A few indicators of successful therapy include an improvement in identified symptoms (anxiety, depression, anger, etc.), a shift in thinking and focusing more on the present. The length of therapy varies for each client but on average, 3-6 months is sufficient.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness and Behavioral Activation
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My strengths include my honest approach, problem-solving skills and unwavering belief that change is possible. I maintain hope for my clients and have an easy time seeing various perspectives.