(she/her)
I have been seeing patients for 20+ years specializing adults coping with cancer and their caregivers. There are unique needs that are faced by people with cancer - practical, financial, emotional, physical, family relationships - and having someone who understands these individual and often changing needs can help. Helping other people in a time of need is very rewarding to me. I love my job and what I do. I hope I can help you, and if not, we can talk about who might be able to better fit your needs. It's important to have feel a sense of connection to whoever you decide to trust with your inner thoughts and most vulnerable feelings.
We will talk about what brings you to therapy now and what types of issues you are having. I will ask you lots of questions so that I can get to know you and better understand who you are as a person and what values are important to you. Before you leave, we will talk about what I have learned, talk about what I missed, and then make a plan for next steps.
I provide therapy that is a mix of empathy and compassion with a direct approach to helping people move forward in their lives. I specialize in helping patients with cancer as they navigate the complex issues and decisions they have to make on their journey from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
I see my role as a coach, some who can help you when you're at a point in your life where you are feeling stuck. I can give you feedback on what I see, offer suggestions, and talk about things you can do differently or different ways of thinking. Eventually, you'll have the tools and the confidence to do things on your own, and then my job is done. Sometimes clients move to a more extended schedule - once a month, every 3 months - or sometimes we decide that they are ready to launch on their own.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
My treatment approach focuses on helping people to understand the thoughts that underlie the way they feel and why they do the things they do
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT skills - like learning how to manage your emotions, be mindful, be more effective in your relationships and communication with others - can be a good complement to the CBT approach of understanding why you feel and do the things you do.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Therapy is not one size fits all. It is a personalized process that requires finding solutions and benefit that works for clients in their life. This process requires having a deep understanding a client's identity, what shapes who they are, and the cultural values and norms that are important to them.