New to Grow
Hi, I’m a former college educator that pursued a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology to be able to work with people in a more personal and direct way. In addition to clinical work, I taught college English, received a MA in Cultural Studies and pursued a PhD in English and New Media. I feel that this gives my clinical work a good cultural foundation. I understand people as coming from complex family, relational, economic and cultural backgrounds. I’m also aware of how media, images and messaging can affect our daily lives and experiences.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session is about getting to know you and what issues brought you to treatment. I can give you some talking points or you may want to take the first session to get things out in the open. I’ll give you some feedback and make some recommendations based on what you’ve said about your thinking and emotional style, history and goals.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I’m a flexible, genuine person in the session and have been a patient and a practitioner. I trend a little towards a slower pace with room for creativity and building safety and trust.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I think I work best with people who want to explore self-image, meaning-making or the role of symptoms and mental health in their lives. Important life events can create questions and uncertainties requiring clarification on career, family, health and relationships. I work with all people because mental-health should also be about fairness and access. I listen closely to match a persons needs as an individual with a unique life-experience.
Psychoanalytic
I’ve trained at several psychoanalytic institutes and hold certificates from The Los Angeles Psychoanalytic Institute and Psychoanalytic Center of California. I use this training to help clients identify and work-through root causes of depression and anxiety. I find that the pace is a little slower than other modalities and works well for people who are unsure of how past experiences contribute to their thoughts and behavior. Topics discussed include: memories, family and interpersonal relationships, dreams, traumatic events, childhood experiences, and repetition of errors and mistakes.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
My introduction to DBT skills came through my work with individuals experiencing substance-abuse, court-mandated treatment and difficulty managing overwhelming anxiety and emotions. I have found that DBT provides simple, practical skills to help those in distress or having difficulties navigating day-to-day stressors that have become too much. I think it works well for people experiencing high-conflict relationships as well as those who lose the ability to think/evaluate what’s going on. It shows you how to think about thoughts before they get to be too much. Topics covered include: anger and frustration, substance use/abuse, frequent arguments with family, partners and others.
Supportive
Supportive therapy is a component of all types of psychotherapy. Sometimes people just need someone with an outside perspective to hear them out and get some constructive or clinical feedback. Topics include, self-esteem/identity, decision-making, and life-transitions.