LPC, 20 years of experience
As a licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania, I am here to help you grow through your challenges. My formal training in psychotherapy at Villanova is only one of the resources I offer you. In addition, I have been guided by a lifelong interest in the many systems of thought that are available for people who wish to grow to their full potential. Our initial conversations begin with a compassionate concern for your situation. Through the course of therapy, I will show you how to apply modern healing tools of psychotherapy tools, combined with my intuition and respect for the complexities of human nature.
In our first session, I ask questions and listen, in order to form an understanding of what brings you to therapy, what are the pressures, supports, and strengths in your current life, and what you would like to achieve during our time together.
As a therapist, I believe in every person’s potential to grow and reach their best selves. And because of advances in psychotherapy, now is a good time to face the obstacles that get in your way. By combining old fashioned values of a warm, nurturing therapeutic conversation with the modern methods of DBT, CBT, narrative and IFS informed therapies, I offer guidance and tools tailored to your individual needs. In addition to being a therapist, I have also spent a lifetime studying and practicing self-help methods, and can offer advice and support on many systems of self-development, including journaling, meditation, spirituality, sobriety, and exercise. And as a teacher and coach for memoir writers, I have developed a rich understanding of the evolving inner worlds of my clients.
My favorite clients come to therapy with a deep curiosity about the way therapy might help them grow. Curious clients want to get to the bottom of things. Just as I actively listen to my clients, my favorite clients are ones who "listen back" - such a two-way exchange offers a collaboration for mental and emotional healing.
To manage upsetting reactions, we'll explore the situations that trigger you. Then through the lens of trauma-informed therapy, we'll help you develop a wiser relationship with those imbalanced parts. By gaining insight into your own intense reactions, you'll be able to learn better approaches, both to your current situation as well as to disturbing memories and triggers. My treatment method requires a mutual collaboration to build upon your existing strengths and add new ones.
In addition to the traditional CBT methods that modify thinking habits in order to relieve psychological stress, I also offer an expanded understanding of the power of your thoughts to affect your feelings. Beliefs about yourself, stories you tell about your relationship to others, can help you "think differently" in order to steer more effectively through your life. I also offer behavioral interventions, including breathing, muscle-relaxation, grounding, and meditation.
Therapy methods continue to evolve rapidly, informed by scientific insight into the brain. By combining the new science with mindful self-observation, somatic methods such as deep breathing, and insights into self-regulation and trauma, I teach clients how to manage, regulate, and improve mood and effectiveness.
While not certified as an IFS therapist, i take advantage of my extensive training and experience with the method to help you develop a better, more productive and healthy relationship with the various pushes and pulls of your inner parts.