LP, 10 years of experience
New to Grow
I have been providing therapy for the last ten years. I am specialized in therapy for trauma and PTSD, as well as peri-partum mental health. My treatment approach is evidence-based and collaborative, which means that I will bring in the therapy that is backed by science to be effective, and I will work with you, the client, as an individual to create a holistic treatment plan that works for your specific needs. I take a gentle yet firm approach - I will maintain an unconditional positive regard toward you, embracing diversity and your own unique perspective. Yet, I believe good therapy is not necessarily easy and I will challenge you at times to examine new understandings, try new approaches, and maintain practices that are established in our sessions. Ultimately, my goal is that you work through what you have come to therapy for and become able to implement gains from therapy into your real life outside of the sessions.
I refer to the first session as an "intake session" whereby the style of the session will feel more like a Q & A session, as opposed to a more conversational style of the typical therapy session. In this intake session, I will ask questions to get to the bottom of your reasons for seeking therapy and your goals for the sessions. I will also explore your social history, such as your family and work/school history, as well as your mental health history. Through asking these questions, I will begin to form a picture of my understanding of your difficulties and patterns, and I will be able to recommend a path forward for us to address them. With this said, we may continue exploring your background and developing our treatment plan in our first several sessions, so you should not feel a pressure to have everything said or planned by the end of the first session.
I have a comprehensive background in evidence-based therapies (CBT, DBT, ACT) and will gently push the client to make progress. Yet my tone for the sessions is calm and supportive. I know that one therapeutic approach will not work for every client. I am prepared to use a holistic approach and to pivot as necessary. For clients that remain actively engaged in therapy with me, it is common to see life-changing effects of therapy, such as the client developing a new mindset in their relationships, experiencing less anxiety and fear in day-to-day life, and being better-able to live in the moment. I have received feedback that I do "push" somewhat more than other therapists; I do this because I truly believe my clients have the capacity to work hard and that they deserve to see meaningful internal change. When we work together in this way, the outcome is more rewarding.
I am specialized to serve clients coming to therapy to work on trauma/PTSD, and pregnancy/peri-partum mental health, as well as other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. For clients seeking to work on trauma, I have background and experience in working with all different types of trauma experiences, from abuse/assault, to combat experience, natural disasters, car accidents, medical trauma, and more. No trauma is too big or too small to be worth healing from. I work best with clients who are ready to work on themselves and are prepared to do the hard work that comes with making positive change. Sometimes therapy involves uncomfortable conversations, working to understand and change longstanding patterns and habits, and developing new skills for managing symptoms. These all take practice over time. It is ideal for the clients to be prepared to set a regular time each week, at least for the first 4-8 sessions, for therapy. This way, you are set up for success by having regular practice. Therapy involves changing the actual neural pathways in your brain from unhealthy or unhelpful connections, to more positive ones. This process takes time!
I have been providing cognitive behavioral therapies for treatment of trauma and other conditions for the last ten years (including CBT, CPT, and PE). During the first few sessions, we will work collaboratively to establish a treatment plan. I believe that each client must be treated holistically as an individual, so I tailor the evidence-based treatments for each client's needs. I work with clients as an encouraging partner in the process, and can be gentle yet firm in my approach to ensure that the client gets the most out of their treatment. This approach often includes out of session homework for the client to practice strategies learned in session.
ACT is helpful when traditional/cognitive-behavioral therapies are not effective, for example, with someone who tends to be an intellectualizer who overthinks their symptoms. ACT helps the client get out of their heads to be more present in their life, and living in line with their values. I work with clients as partners in the therapy to set goals and work towards them.
DBT is helpful for the client looking for straightforward strategies to help quickly increase skills and coping abilities to manage distress associated with trauma/PTSD, depression, anxiety, and more. I will recommend DBT with clients that are experiencing high distress, or those with C-PTSD who need a balanced range of strategies to manage the symptoms.