Welcome! Finding the right fit in a therapist is important and hopefully I can give you some information to make a better-informed decision. I have a master's degree in Art Therapy from Drexel University as well as my Master's in Social Work from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Certified Addictions Counselor (CADC) in Pennsylvania. I have over twenty years of experience as a therapist and clinical educator that I would like to share with you. I am currently available to meet with individuals 18 and over who reside in Pennsylvania and are looking for virtual therapy only (meeting via Doxy.me). No in person sessions available at this time. Couples and family therapy are currently not available.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
For your first session we will be starting the process of getting to know each other. We will first spend some time with what motivated you to seek therapy and what you would like to get out of it. Then I will ask you questions about your life in the structure of a biopsychosocial assessment so that I can better understand what factors may be contributing to your presenting issues as well as areas that support your wellbeing.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I practice from a trauma informed lens and believe that creating a safe, supported, and comfortable environment is the needed foundation to support all other work in therapy. I utilize concept from evidence based practices like Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Motivational Enhancement (MI). My job is not to fix you or tell you how to live, you are the expert on you. We work together to get curious about why you are using your current coping strategies and then offer you different options to explore to see if you feel better when using them.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I feel my strength as a therapist is that I accept you as you are. I know from working with so many people over the last 20 plus years that there are wonderful things that make each human unique. I also know we have a lot in common that lead us to similar places of emotional pain and discontent with our lives. I would love for everyone to have a welcoming, safe accepting space to work through those tough places. I hope we will get a chance to get curious together about how to help you feel better. I can often see patterns in behavior that are hard for people to see on their own. Once we can make these patterns conscious you have the choice to change them. Through our work together you can learn skills to support the life you want to be living.