Hi! I am a licensed independent clinical social worker based in Minnesota. I have been working in the field of mental health for adults, children, and families since 2005. My passion is helping people of all ages to find the breathing space they need in order to live the kind of life that provides joy, meaning, and connection. Life can be tough and chances are you have been trying to figure out the next best step. We'll focus on using your strengths to create a more balanced life that has more of what works, and less of what doesn't.
In our first session, we'll start with brief introductions, and then we will talk about what kinds of symptoms or challenges have brought you to therapy. We'll work on identifying what you have been doing to try to help yourself cope with these challenges- the good things, the not so great ways of coping, and the in-between sort of helpful things you have done. I'll explain more about my approach to the therapeutic process which is driven by you and how we can use a flexible system of therapy to address suffering and overwhelm. By the end of the first or second session, I'd like to be able to name the goals that we agree to be working on together.
Having worked as a mental health provider for 18 years, I have experience in helping a diverse population of clients work through challenges and build a took kit that helps access well-being and psychological flexibility in the face of difficult times. I have a deep understanding of how trauma, attachment and social messages can block pathways to mental well-being. My greatest strength is providing support that has many avenues, doors and windows, but keeps the ultimate goal of connection, joy, courage and care at the center of our work.
An evidence based talk therapy that is related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I use ACT to help you to understand how feelings, thoughts and actions influence us to make moves toward, or away from, what you really want in life. ACT also teaches us strategies for unhooking from the thoughts or impulses that feel good or uncontrollable in the moment, but end up moving us away from what is important.
Another type of talk therapy related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, specifically developed for people who experience emotions very intensely. DBT offers 4 specific sets of skills for managing intense emotions: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation skills. You can start anywhere you need to with these skills and begin to build some excellent tools in your emotional toolbelt.