New to Grow
I’m Van, and I’m truly honored to offer a supportive and compassionate space for you as you navigate life’s transitions and challenges. Whether you’re facing a significant change, striving to find balance between work and life, or needing help managing everyday stresses, I’m here to support you. Together, we’ll build a trusting, collaborative relationship where your voice is heard and your experiences are validated. Using evidence-based methods tailored specifically to you, my goal is to empower you with insight and tools that foster authentic growth and lasting change.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session will be a welcoming space for you to share what brings you to therapy and to learn about my approach. We’ll explore your long-term mental health goals and expectations, setting the foundation for a collaborative and supportive therapeutic journey customized to your individual needs.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I foster a safe and supportive environment by showing genuine curiosity and encouraging deeper reflection. My sense of humor brings a lightness to our sessions, helping us build rapport and ease any tension. I remain nonjudgmental while thoughtfully challenging you to move toward growth and change.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
As a professional counselor, I have the privilege of working with adults and seniors through a wide range of experiences—from grief and anxiety to trauma, identity exploration, and beyond. My approach is rooted in respect for your unique journey, honoring your strengths while gently guiding you through the complexity of your thoughts and feelings. Therapy is a partnership where we work together to support your journey toward your goals. It’s a space for you to explore and understand who you are, because discovering your own identity is important in shaping meaningful goals. Together, we’ll gently explore the “why” behind what matters to you most.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to help clients identify and understand unhelpful thought and behavior patterns that impact their emotions and daily functioning. Together, we examine these thoughts with curiosity and evidence, and practice developing more balanced perspectives and practical coping strategies they can use in everyday life.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use ACT to help clients build awareness of their thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, while learning skills to respond with greater flexibility and self-compassion. We focus on clarifying personal values and taking meaningful, values-based actions even in the presence of difficult emotions.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use DBT to help clients develop practical skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships. Through a balance of acceptance and change, clients learn mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills to support a more stable and fulfilling life.
Motivational Interviewing
I use Motivational Interviewing to create a collaborative, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard and respected as the experts on their own lives. Through open-ended questions, reflective listening, and affirmations, I help clients explore ambivalence, clarify their values, and strengthen their own motivation for change at a pace that feels authentic and empowering.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I use a person-centered (Rogerian) approach to provide a safe, empathetic, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel deeply heard and accepted. By emphasizing unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathic understanding, I support clients in increasing self-awareness, accessing their inner strengths, and moving toward growth and self-directed change.