Welcome! I'm Michelle, and I'm excited about the potential to work with you. Taking the first step toward bettering your mental health is a big deal, and my hope is that you can be proud of yourself for doing so - even if it all feels a little overwhelming right now. I strive to create a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment that allows clients to explore obstacles with concerns related to anxiety, depression, and/or self-care. I focus on helping clients develop assertive communication & boundaries with themselves and those around them that can help improve their quality of life. Counseling can foster personal development in whatever way you may be seeking and help build the life you deserve to live. If that's what you're looking for, I'm here when you're ready to share.
In our first session together, I will gather information about you and your reasons for coming to counseling. This will help paint a picture of who you are, what works for you (and what doesn't!), and what you hope to gain from being here. We will begin to get to know each other and build our relationship, because I believe that is our foundation for everything else we will do!
As a provider, my clients have given me feedback that I am easy to talk to, remember their life details well, and they feel heard when they are in our sessions together.
You may have conversations with yourself such as "why did I just say that? I hope I didn't upset them...are they mad at me? Does everyone hate me? I hate myself sometimes". Or maybe they look more like "I can't get out of bed, I don't care about anything or anyone, what's the point?". Perhaps you're wondering why you feel angry, or why you're struggling in your relationships. You are not alone and I am ready and willing to help you break these thoughts and patterns!
Since graduate school, I have approached each session and client with this method. I believe in building a strong therapeutic relationship from the beginning, having mutual trust and respect. Clients play an active role in their treatment and it is crucial that they implement the coping skills and methods they learn on a daily basis in order to see long-lasting, effective changes.
I use DBT as a way to help regulate emotions, accept unwanted or difficult emotions and experiences, and stay present in the moment without jumping to conclusions or judging oneself for negative thoughts/feelings.
I use CBT to help clients with negative or unhelpful thoughts and beliefs see alternative perspectives that may change their thought patterns in a positive way. We also use CBT to gently challenge these thoughts or emotions as appropriate to ensure we are seeing all angles of a perceived issue and help the client gather data to support or debunk the belief or thought they are having.