Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

My priority will always be the relationship, or as we refer to it, the therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist. No approach or treatment method I employ will be effective if time has not been taken to build a level of comfort and trust. The first few sessions are really about building rapport, since there is very little that can be accomplished without a strong therapeutic relationship as a foundation. On the whole, clients can expect to get as much out of therapy as they are willing to put into it. And to laugh. A lot. And possibly cry, since I do have a track record of clients becoming emotional during our sessions (that's what tissues are for!) Different clients have different needs or goals for therapy, and in turn, I feel like I am somewhat of a different therapist to different clients. Some are very focused on learning coping strategies, while others are looking for someone to talk to who is objective, non-judgmental, and has a different perspective. Some are living with chronic physical, mental or other conditions and are looking for a holding environment in which they can grieve the loss of their independence, or their former life. But for me, the most important thing I want my clients to take away from our sessions is the feeling of being truly seen and heard, without judgment or reservation.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

While experience and education are an absolute necessity to do this work, I believe that my lived experience has had a profound impact on both my ability to build strong therapeutic relationships and to be a more effective therapist. My life is filled with experiences, good and bad, that have shaped me into the person I am today and the therapist that I am today. In terms of strengths, I am unfailingly authentic, resilient, intelligent, curious, non-judgmental, and (at least in my personal life) hilarious ;) And by the way, all of those strengths? They were not so much developed as they were uncovered…through therapy. :)

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

My "dream clients" are thinkers, those who comes to sessions ready to engage and with some idea of what they would like to focus on that day. I have found that the few clients that have felt that we were not a good match were looking to me to either choose the "topic of the day" or provide them with "answers" to all of their problems (spoiler alert: I don't have any!). The thing is, I can't know what you will feel ready to talk about on a given day, so it would be inappropriate for me to choose the focus of the session. This is your session and you decide the issues you want to work on. But don't worry! I won't leave you hanging out to dry! You just bring the jumping off point and we'll follow where it goes together. My caseload has evolved into a collection of vibrant, intelligent, strong women of all ages, with somewhat of a focus on those in their 20s and 30s, just starting out and yearning to know themselves better, to fully embrace their "muchness," that part that continues to hang on, believes in your worth, and isn't swayed by the negative voices meant to keep you feeling small. I am so grateful to be able to work with these women and try to lead by example, and to empower them to embrace their right to take up space. I frequently work with survivors of child sexual abuse, as well as those struggling with issues related to self-worth, but work with other conditions as well. Please visit my website for blog and feedback from clients: www.of2mindstherapy.com ***My practice is focused primarily on treating adults who identify as female as well as being a welcoming space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I do not currently treat cisgender heterosexual males, children or adolescents.