LCSW, 10 years of experience
Hey there, I'm Bristol. Do you find yourself daydreaming about a life where peace is more prominent than pain? Do you feel weighed down or disconnected from yourself? Maybe even to the point where you have lost sight of who you are and where you're headed? My clients often define themselves as the high-achieving, motivated type, yet they come into sessions feeling stuck - as though something is keeping them from reaching their potential. They struggle to shake off the past and fully embrace themselves in the present moment. They may not being able to connect with their own value and significance anymore because their own self-image has become clouded by doubt, fear, and insecurity. Whether it's trauma, anxiety, depression or just life, there is treatment and there is always hope. Your current reality does not have to be your forever. I help my clients find a balance between strength and vulnerability as they navigate the long, winding road of healing. I use a variety of evidence-based techniques to meet you where you're at and mindfully address your needs and goals. My goal is to empower you to let go of the burdens hanging on from your past in order to move forward with a felt sense of relief and hope. You are strong and capable. You could do this alone, but you don't have to. I would love to be invited to join you as you take this step. Being trusted with your raw, unedited story is such an honor for me and a privilege I do not take lightly. When you feel ready, I'm here for you!
I believe that healing is resistant to a unilateral approach. Every human benefits from an unique "recipe" of sorts that tends to adapt depending on the stage of life they are in and the challenges they are facing. I will spend time with you in our first few sessions to discuss your goals and determine a plan for treatment that can be re-evaluated at any point throughout our time together. I take a holistic approach, which means we will look into a variety of components that complement your treatment and foster whole-body healing. This is a highly collaborative and open-ended process. While in the treatment planning phase, my goal is to present you with a "road map" and then support you in choosing which route feels best.
You may be reading this and still be wondering, "Is this the right step for me or my child?" I want to take a moment to validate the fact that stepping into therapy is often extremely daunting and uncomfortable. One of the areas in which I excel is helping my clients step into this space in a way that feels comfortable for them. This phase is often overlooked but I feel it's one of the most vital moments in the therapeutic relationship. I encourage my clients to show up exactly where they are at this moment because ALL parts of you are welcome here. This is your time and space, and I will be careful to ensure it's a space that cultivates authenticity, safety, and growth.
At this time, I’m only able to take on short-term clients, meaning our work together would be limited to six months or less. I bring extensive experience supporting teens and young adults navigating depression, anxiety, and trauma—populations I’ve worked with most often. That said, I welcome any new client who feels drawn to work with me. I believe therapy is most effective when both client and therapist feel it's the right fit, and I’m committed to fostering that kind of connection.
I primarily utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to treat my clients' presenting symptoms. EMDR is a structured therapy that helps people process and heal from difficult experiences by using eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. It allows the brain to reprocess distressing memories in a way that feels less overwhelming, so they no longer have the same emotional charge. For some, EMDR can lead to noticeable shifts in a relatively short period of time, which makes it especially well-suited for brief therapy. I am trained in the Somatic and Attachment Focused (S.A.F.E.) approach to EMDR. This form of EMDR takes into consideration our relational patterns and body-based responses that developed over the course of our lives. We look at past and present patterns with curiosity, understanding that most of our more "unhelpful" behaviors were at one point useful for managing stress or coping with trauma. We investigate your strengths and how you used them to adapt to your environment growing up. We identify areas of growth and nurture these as resources meant to equip you. Oftentimes this is where clients start to feel "unstuck" and enter into unfamiliar, sometimes uncomfortable, yet exciting new territory.