Hi there! I am glad you are here! I'm Donnah. A little information about me. I have diverse experience working in community mental health, and I particularly enjoy working with adolescents, young adults, and their families. I strive to be the type of helper and ally that I would have benefited from as a teen. Transitioning to adulthood can be challenging, and I am passionate about supporting this population. Whether it's dealing with school challenges, choosing a career, facing emerging mental health issues, or navigating parental or relational difficulties, I am eager to help.I have a wide range of experience in community mental health and find great satisfaction in supporting adolescents, young adults, and their families. My goal is to provide the kind of support and understanding I would have valued as a teenager. Recognizing the difficulties of transitioning to adulthood, I am dedicated to helping this age group navigate challenges such as school pressures, career decisions, emerging mental health concerns, emotional regulation problems, and family or relationship issues.
During our initial consultation, we will establish a comfortable and confidential space to begin our therapeutic relationship. This session is crucial for both of us to determine if our working styles and approaches align with your needs and expectations. You are encouraged to openly ask any questions you may have regarding the therapeutic process, my background, or my specific areas of expertise. I will dedicate this time to understanding the multifaceted reasons that have led you to seek therapy. Together, we will explore the various challenges you are currently facing, collaboratively prioritize these concerns, and start to develop a robust framework that will guide our subsequent sessions. This foundational understanding will be essential in creating a tailored and effective treatment plan to support your personal growth and well-being.
As a provider, my core strengths lie in the realm of human connection, particularly my deep capacity for compassion and empathy. I believe in meeting each individual with a genuine understanding of their unique experiences and perspectives. My ability to actively and attentively listen forms the bedrock of my practice, allowing me to truly hear not just the words spoken, but also the underlying emotions and unspoken needs. This empathetic listening fosters the development of a strong therapeutic alliance, built on trust and mutual respect. I am also committed to remaining open to feedback, recognizing that growth and improvement are continuous processes. Ultimately, I believe in empowering clients to take ownership of their journey, allowing them to lead the way and direct their own treatment, while I provide support and guidance along their chosen path.
I enjoy supporting youth and young adults, and often their families, and have experience assisting new parents, those navigating postpartum challenges, and people undergoing various life transitions. My specialized expertise lies in addressing emerging mental illness in adolescents, early or first-episode psychosis, and childhood trauma. I offer personalized treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions, focusing on your strengths and needs to develop a plan that helps you achieve your personal goals. I can assist in managing symptoms of mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, and early psychosis. Additionally, I conduct assessments to provide information or clarify diagnoses. It's important to remember that a diagnosis is simply an explanation of symptoms and does not define you; recovery, improved functioning, and increased joy in life are all possible.
I practice CBT for depression and anxiety from the Beck Institute for around 10 years. For the past 6 years I have also trained and practiced using CBT for early interventions in psychosis (CBTp) and clinical high risk populations (CBTchrp) with youth and young adults. In many cases this modality has been effective in preventing or delaying the onset of serious mental illness and disability when used with a coordinated approach to treatment.
EMDR is an extremely effective tool that I have used either by itself to help symptoms of anxiety, depression and trauma, or alongside CBT and other modalities to offer an individualized approach to treatment. I am EMDR institute trained and happy to discuss whether this would be a helpful approach for you.
Motivational Interviewing can be a powerful tool to help individuals recognize their own strengths and challenges or empowers them to recognize changes that will support therapeutic goals leading to improved motivation and success in their wellness journey. Originally designed to treat addictions, I use the principles of MI to develop a partnership with you to ensure you receive the support needed for best outcomes.
Everyone has strengths. By using a strengths-based approach to counseling I can help ensure your plan of care aligns with your values and assets to help manage challenges.
I am a trainer for trauma-informed care and I recognize the need to allow individuals choice when seeking help for mental health challenges. There are many different types of traumatic experience and the impact of these experiences can have long-term impacts of quality of life. It is crucial that individuals to feel safe when seeking treatment and that they trust their provider to provide quality and unbiased treatment. I will work with you as a collaborative partner in treatment while you direct every aspect of your recovery.