New to Grow
I’m a licensed therapist who works with adolescents, young adults, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship challenges. Many of the people who come to therapy with me feel overwhelmed, stuck in difficult patterns, or unsure how to move forward in their relationships or personal lives. Therapy can offer a place to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and begin creating meaningful change. My approach is compassionate, thoughtful, and collaborative. I believe that people grow best in environments where they feel safe, respected, and genuinely understood. In our work together, I focus on helping clients explore the emotional and relational patterns that shape their experiences while also developing practical tools for managing stress, improving communication, and navigating challenges more effectively. I have particular experience supporting teens and families during periods of conflict, transition, or emotional strain. I also work with young adults who are navigating identity, relationships, and life direction, as well as couples who want to better understand each other and strengthen their connection. Clients often describe my style as warm, reflective, and grounded. I aim to create a space where you can speak openly, explore difficult experiences at your own pace, and begin developing a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships. Therapy is not about “fixing” you—it’s about helping you reconnect with your strengths and build a life that feels more stable, meaningful, and aligned with who you are.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Starting therapy can feel like a big step, and it’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to expect. Many people come to their first session feeling nervous, uncertain about what to say, or wondering if they’re “doing therapy right.” One of my goals in our first meeting is to help make the experience feel welcoming, comfortable, and grounded so you can begin sharing at a pace that feels right for you. When we begin, we’ll spend a little time getting oriented. I’ll briefly review a few logistical things such as confidentiality, how therapy works, and what you can expect from our sessions together. This helps make sure you understand how the process works and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have before we begin talking more about what brings you to therapy. From there, our conversation will start with you. I may ask something like, “What made you decide to reach out for therapy right now?” or “What’s been weighing on you lately?” There’s no pressure to tell your entire life story in the first session. Some people arrive with a clear sense of what they want to talk about, while others simply know that something feels difficult or overwhelming and they’re not sure where to begin. Both experiences are completely normal. As you share, I’ll ask thoughtful questions to better understand what you’ve been going through. We may talk about what has been happening recently in your life, the challenges or emotions you’ve been dealing with, and the relationships that are important to you. Sometimes we also explore how long certain struggles have been present and what you’ve already tried in order to cope or manage them. For adolescents and younger clients, this first session often includes space for them to speak openly about their experiences, while also helping them feel comfortable in the therapy environment. If parents or caregivers are involved, part of the first session may include hearing their perspectives as well so that I can understand the family context and what everyone is hoping will improve. During this conversation, I’m paying attention not only to what you’re saying but also to patterns that might be shaping your experience. These might include emotional patterns, relationship dynamics, or ways that stress and life events are affecting how you feel day to day. The goal isn’t to analyze you or jump to conclusions. Instead, it’s to begin building a thoughtful understanding of what your life has been like and what might be
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to help clients feel genuinely understood while also guiding them toward meaningful insight and change. I bring a thoughtful, attuned, and collaborative presence to therapy, creating a space where people can explore difficult emotions and experiences without feeling judged or rushed. Clients often tell me that they feel both supported and challenged in our work together. I pay close attention to patterns in relationships, emotions, and behavior, helping clients make connections that deepen their self-understanding. At the same time, I focus on practical growth—supporting clients in building emotional regulation, improving communication, and developing healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. I draw from attachment-informed, trauma-informed, and skills-based approaches to tailor therapy to each client’s needs, helping people move toward greater stability, clarity, and more fulfilling relationships.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
The clients I work best with are adolescents, young adults, couples, and families who are navigating emotional pain, relational struggles, or important life transitions and want a thoughtful space to better understand what they are experiencing. Many people who come to therapy with me feel overwhelmed, stuck in difficult patterns, or unsure how to move forward in their relationships, their personal lives, or their sense of identity. Often, my clients are thoughtful and introspective people who have been trying to manage things on their own for a long time. They may be used to being the “strong one,” the responsible one, or the person others rely on. At the same time, they may feel exhausted, misunderstood, or unsure why certain struggles keep repeating in their lives. Therapy becomes a place where they can slow down, make sense of these patterns, and begin developing healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. For adolescents and teenagers, I often work with young people who feel overwhelmed by emotions, family conflict, social pressures, or the expectations placed on them at school or in their personal lives. Some teens feel misunderstood or disconnected from the adults around them. Others struggle with anxiety, depression, identity questions, or difficulty managing intense emotions. Therapy can give them a space where they feel heard and respected while also helping them develop tools for emotional regulation, communication, and self-understanding. I also work closely with families who want to repair communication and rebuild trust. Many families seek therapy during times of conflict, disconnection, or misunderstanding between parents and teens. In these situations, family members often care deeply about each other but feel stuck in patterns of frustration, hurt, or miscommunication. My role is to help create a space where family members can better understand one another’s experiences and begin rebuilding stronger, more supportive relationships. Young adults are another group I often work with. This stage of life can bring enormous pressure and uncertainty as people navigate identity, relationships, career decisions, and independence. Many young adults feel stuck between different expectations or struggle with anxiety about the future, relationship challenges, or lingering effects of past experiences. Therapy can help them gain clarity about who they are, what they value, and how they want to move forward in their lives. In couples work, I
Attachment-based
My work is strongly informed by attachment theory and the understanding that early relational experiences shape how people experience emotions, relationships, and safety in the world. Many of the clients I work with struggle with patterns that developed in response to earlier attachment disruptions, such as difficulty trusting others, fear of abandonment, emotional withdrawal, or challenges with emotional regulation. In my practice, I use an attachment-based lens to help clients understand how their relational patterns developed and how those patterns may be showing up in current relationships. This process often involves exploring family dynamics, early caregiving relationships, and the ways clients have learned to cope with stress, conflict, or emotional needs. With adolescents and young adults in particular, attachment-informed work helps strengthen emotional regulation, communication, and the ability to form secure and supportive relationships. I focus on creating a therapeutic environment that is consistent, attuned, and emotionally safe so that clients can experience a corrective relational experience while developing greater insight into themselves and their relationships. I often integrate attachment-informed work with trauma-informed care and skills-based approaches that support emotional regulation and resilience.
Couples Counseling
In my work with couples, I draw from principles of the Gottman Method to help partners better understand the patterns that shape their relationship. The Gottman framework focuses on strengthening friendship, improving communication, and helping couples navigate conflict in healthier and more constructive ways. In practice, this often involves helping couples identify and shift unhelpful interaction patterns such as criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling. I support partners in developing skills that promote emotional connection, including active listening, expressing needs more clearly, and responding to one another with greater empathy and understanding. I also work with couples to deepen their understanding of each other’s emotional worlds by exploring stress, attachment needs, and the ways past experiences may influence current relationship dynamics. Together we focus on building trust, strengthening friendship within the relationship, and creating practical strategies for managing conflict while maintaining respect and connection. My goal is to provide couples with both insight and concrete tools so they can improve communication, repair conflict more effectively, and build a more stable and supportive partnership.
Trauma-Focused CBT
In my work with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, I utilize principles from Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), an evidence-based treatment designed to help young people process traumatic experiences and develop healthier coping skills. TF-CBT supports clients in understanding how trauma affects thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while building skills that improve emotional regulation and resilience. In practice, I incorporate key components of TF-CBT such as psychoeducation about trauma, relaxation and coping strategies, cognitive processing, and gradual exploration of traumatic experiences in a safe and structured way. This process helps clients make sense of their experiences, reduce distress related to traumatic memories, and develop a stronger sense of safety and self-understanding. When working with younger clients, TF-CBT also includes collaboration with caregivers so that they can better support the child’s recovery and reinforce coping strategies outside of therapy. My goal is to create a trauma-informed environment where clients feel safe, supported, and empowered as they work through difficult experiences and move toward healing.
Family Therapy
In my work with adolescents and their families, I draw from Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), an evidence-based treatment designed to strengthen family relationships and repair attachment ruptures that may contribute to depression, anxiety, trauma, and conflict within the family system. ABFT focuses on helping family members rebuild trust, improve emotional communication, and create a more secure and supportive relationship between caregivers and adolescents. In therapy, I work with both teens and parents to explore patterns of disconnection, misunderstandings, and unresolved relational injuries that may be affecting the family dynamic. The process often includes supporting adolescents in expressing their emotional experiences and needs in a safe and structured way, while helping caregivers respond with greater empathy, validation, and understanding. As families practice new ways of communicating and repairing conflict, they can begin to rebuild trust and strengthen their connection. My goal in using an ABFT approach is to help families move from patterns of conflict or distance toward greater safety, openness, and emotional support so that adolescents feel more secure and understood within their primary relationships.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
In my work with clients, I often draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic approach that helps individuals understand the different “parts” of themselves that influence thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Many people experience internal conflict—for example, one part may want to move forward or make changes, while another part feels fearful, protective, or stuck. IFS helps clients explore these internal dynamics with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment. In practice, I support clients in identifying and understanding the roles their internal parts have developed over time, often in response to difficult experiences, stress, or trauma. Through this process, clients can begin to build greater awareness and develop a more compassionate relationship with themselves. IFS work focuses on helping clients access a grounded and centered sense of self, which allows them to relate to their internal experiences with greater clarity and balance. As clients develop this internal understanding, they often find it easier to regulate emotions, reduce internal conflict, and respond to challenges in more flexible and supportive ways. My goal in using an IFS-informed approach is to help clients better understand themselves, heal past emotional wounds, and develop a more integrated and compassionate relationship with their inner experiences.