New to Grow
Hi, I'm Alex, a warm, direct, trauma-informed, affirming LCSW who helps people break long standing emotional patterns and reconnect or discover who they really are. My approach is person centered, strengths based and collaborative. As a veteran, mother and therapist who has lived experience with ADHD and anxiety, I understand what it feels like to juggle responsibilities while trying to learn to emotionally regulate while trying to hold it all together. If you are looking for a therapist who is compassionate and direct, who will support you while also helping you get unstuck, and who believes deeply in your capacity for change - I'd be honored to work with you and be part of your journey.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
While it will have a lot of question (which I will try to keep as quick and painless as possible), your first session with me will be calm, grounding, validating and conversation based - not rushed, not pressured, cold, robotically clinical and not intimidating. I want to take the time to genuinely get to know you, what brings you to therapy, what you've been carrying and what you hope to get out of therapy. By the end of your first session you should have a clear idea of your therapy goals, insight into what's driving your current challenges and a sense of what future sessions will for the most part, will look and feel like. You can expect warmth, directness and zero judgement from me. I bring both clinical expertise and a very human presence to the therapeutic space. That being said, I feel it is also important to put out there that I believe you should treat therapy just like you would getting a hair cut or new tattoo. If you went to a salon and the haircut you got was absolutely not what you wanted, you would not go back right? If you find that I am not the therapist for you that is ok and I would love to help you get connected to what you need!
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths as a therapist come from the way I blend warmth, insight and directness. I am fully present, genuinely curious and accepting. I am good at rapport building, which I feel is vital to help clients feel able to be open and honest, and allowing me to be straightforward and appropriately direct when clarity is needed. Because of my background and lived experience with trauma, ADHD and family system dynamics, client's often feel seen and understood, because I understand on a human level, not just a clinical one.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am ideal for clients who are self-aware (or want to be), motivated for change, and ready to stop surviving and start living. I work best with adults who are navigating anxiety, self doubt, attachment issues, trauma, ADHD, relationship issues, people-pleasing and the invisible emotional labor they've been carrying for years (you know, you're high functioning on the outside but exhausted on the inside). They are seeking clarity, boundaries and emotional peace.
Attachment-based
I use attachment theory as a guiding lens to help clients understand how their early relationships shape the way they show up in connection in present day. Many of the patterns we struggle with as adults - feeling unworthy of love, not good enough, too much, staying guarded, avoiding vulnerability or need for frequent reassurance - didn't start with our current relationships. I help you clients gently explore these patterns with curiosity, never shame or judgement. Together, we identify what your attachment style is trying to protect you from, how it becomes activated in relationships, and what it needs to feel secure. I offer a balance of emotional safety, clear guidance, and practical tools so you can learn how to regulate, communicate your needs, build healthy boundaries and form healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I integrate CBT to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. When we're overwhelmed, anxious or stuck in old patterns, it's easy to get caught in automatic thought loops that feel true simply because they're familiar. With CBT we identify the beliefs that are fueling your stress, self-doubt, or reactivity and explore where they came from and challenge them while developing healthier interpretations and find balance and confidence. Feelings aren't facts (but they are valid).
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I draw from DBT to help clients build emotional regulation, lessen reactivity, build distress tolerance, increase mindfulness and navigate intense emotions. I do not use DBT rigidly, it is a compassionate, personalized, integrated approach.
Humanistic
I strongly believe in a humanistic, person-centered approach. I believe people heal in the presence of authenticity, compassion and genuine connection, not judgement or pressure. My goal is to use a humanistic approach to create a space where you feel truly seen and understood. When clients feel safe enough to show up as their real selves, healing and insight unfold naturally. Humanistic approach means I see you as a whole person, not a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms. I trust your inner wisdom (even if you don't yet) and your ability to grow. I support you in reconnecting with strengths you may have forgotten, reclaiming your voice and developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Motivational Interviewing
I am trained in advanced motivational interviewing and use it to help clients explore their ambivalence surrounding change, clarify what they truly want and build confidence in their choices. MI is a collaborative approach that honors your autonomy and recognizes that real transformation happens when you feel ready, not when someone pushes you in to it.