New to Grow
As a therapist with 25 years' experience, licensed in Colorado and Missouri, my areas of expertise include oncology, palliative care, end-of-life care, griefwork, and life transitions. It has been my personal and professional experience that counseling greatly benefits those who are grieving loss and/or the inevitable challenges of life. I welcome your inquiries and admire your willingness to consider professional counseling.
Our initial session will be an opportunity to learn about you as a person and as a client. We will explore your past challenges and successes to identify your strengths and coping techniques. Initial sessions typically include a review of the documentation you completed before our session, as well as an in-depth conversation to ensure we are a good fit for each other.
My clinical expertise is grief therapy. I have 25 years' experience in oncology, hospice, and end-of-life care. Therapy sessions focus on understanding a client's grief experience, providing therapeutic techniques and strategies for coping with loss, and utilizing compassion and empathy to support the client. I consider it a privilege to make a difference in the lives of others.
Grief is not just about the death of a loved one. Grief may also be losing your job, accepting health limitations, ending a long-term relationship, saying goodbye to a beloved pet, leaving home, losing a friendship, retirement, receiving a life-altering diagnosis or injury, feeling like a failure, or grieving the life you thought you'd have. Even new and exciting life changes may include an element of grief and adjustment.
Strength-Based
I primarily practice from a Strengths-Based perspective, focusing on the client as the "expert" in identifying strengths and effective coping skills. For those experiencing grief, I utilize Worden's Model of Grief to educate and support clients through the grieving process.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
The premise of ACT is to encourage clients to identify issues creating emotional distress/disharmony. The aim of ACT is to help clients create a rich, meaningful life, while effectively coping with the inevitability of life's challenges.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is goal-oriented therapy focusing on maladaptive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Clients are encouraged to identify and replace ineffective cognitive and behavioral distortions using goal-oriented strategies. CBT is considered 'brief' therapy (12-20 sessions) focusing on current issues.