The pressures of the modern world seem never ending, particularly when you deal with an untreated or difficult to treat mental health or substance use issue. I specialize in certain mental health diagnoses including personality disorders, postpartum issues, depression/anxiety, self harm/suicidal ideation. I am prepared to assist you in offering helpful coping strategies, understanding the psychology behind your experiences/symptoms, processing feelings and thoughts, and gaining better traction on your life. My specialty is in mental health and substance use (dual diagnosis). I am DBT certified. I have worked with individuals impacted by cycles of trauma, violence, and substances in various settings including psychiatric hospitals, county jail, intensive outpatient programs, and outpatient clinics. My mission? Help people THRIVE and be SEEN/HEARD despite these circumstances. I understand that both making sense of the issue(s) at hand and reaching out is incredibly anxiety producing. What I provide is a safe and warm space where you can explore your needs, current feelings, history, and goals. You have the power to stop fighting what is out of your control, and harness your power to control what is just within your grasp.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
I strive to make my first sessions centered around us getting to know each other. I do not come into session with a check list of information that I need to know and MUST obtain immediately. Alternatively, I come into sessions with a goal of this being a conversational, free flowing assessment that is both informative for me as your new therapist but also healing for you. Despite it being about me getting to know you, it is also important that you have a chance to process what is going on in your life.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
What brought me to this field is my natural ability to accurately understand the feelings of others around me. As a child/teenager, I was tuned in to the emotional world around me in a way that I did not fully understand until today. I learned as an adult that we call this empathy of course, and it allows me to continue being tuned in fully to my clients and present in the moments we share in sessions. I tend toward being what I refer to as "gentle transparency and directness". My goal is for you to always take something away from session, and if being direct (in a compassionate manner) will be of service to you, I will do so.