New to Grow
I have been in practice in Kalamazoo for over 15 years. I am certified in Trauma Informed Assessment and Intervention, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, play therapy, and have expertise in several parenting approaches. In addition to clinical practice, I am a school social worker, and proud father of 8 children. I use a person-centered approach, allowing clients to set their goals, providing a safe space and supportive environment to move them in the direction of their goals.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
During our first session, I spend a lot of time collecting background information and gathering information about the client's goals. I also give clients a chance to ask questions of me so that we can get to know each other and develop a productive relationship. By the end of the session, my goal is to develop an outline of specific goals that we are planning to work toward throughout our time together.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I've been doing this for over 15 years and use that experience to connect with clients of diverse backgrounds and draw on evidence and examples of both successes and challenges. I also continue to learn from clients every week, which helps me stay current and realize that there's not a 'one size fits all' approach and every client has unique needs as well as strengths.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
An ideal client for me is someone struggling with anxiety, ocd, and/or trauma and is seeking tools that can help them manage symptoms so that they gain a sense of control in their life instead of feeling that their emotions are running the show.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I have been training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the past two years and find that it complements treatments for Anxiety, OCD, and Trauma quite well.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I've had training in CBT for years and find it to be the backbone of other treatment methods - learning how our thoughts and feelings interact can create awareness and space for clients to begin to make changes.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
I have multiple years experience using Exposure and Response Prevention and is my go to treatment approach for working with clients experiencing OCD, and have found it can also be beneficial in working with trauma and anxiety.