LMHC, 10 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor located in NYS. I graduated with my Master's degree in mental health counseling in 2015 and my bachelors in psychology in 2011. I began my career as a mental health crisis responder in my local community and worked in that role for a number of years. I transitioned into community mental health as an individual therapist before taking the jump to full time private practice this year.
In our first session we will explore what concerns are bringing you into therapy and what symptoms you may be experiencing. The initial couple of sessions are helpful in reviewing you relevant history and getting to know you and what you are hoping to gain out of treatment. Some people are looking to explore what it feels like to open up to someone else for the first time, and others are ready to dive in and do deep work. This looks different for everyone and that is okay. I am here to meet you where you are at in your own journey.
I have been told that I create a non-judgmental and welcoming space, mixing professionalism and interpersonal connectedness in a therapeutic and helpful way. Building a strong therapeutic relationship is the basis to making effective change in our work together. It is important to me that you feel heard and that your concerns are being addressed. I use empirically based treatment methods to provide you with tools and techniques for meaningful change.
I enjoy working with adults throughout the life span. My area of expertise is in trauma informed care and providing a safe space in which clients feel comfortable and supported in order to set and work towards achieving their personal mental health related goals. I work well with individuals who present with anxiety and depression related symptoms. Many of the clients that I work with are noticing patterns of conflict within their relationships, feeling disconnected, and maybe having a hard time participating in activities that they used to enjoy. I find great joy in building upon the strengths of my clients and forming a collaborative relationship where feedback is welcomed.
I am a certified EMDR practitioner through EMDRIA. This modality is effective in treating trauma and trauma related symptoms including anxiety and depression. EMDR is different than traditional talk-therapy and allows the brain to re-process and store past events differently in order to reduce upsetting triggers. Clients often report no longer feeling distress when thinking about these past upsetting events, better control over their emotions, and an overall improved quality of life after completing reprocessing. EMDR does not force the client to go into any difficult details of their traumatic events and allows you to share at a level you are comfortable with.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is useful for connecting the ways that our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviors. Through bringing an awareness to these thoughts clients can begin to notice unhelpful patterns and work to replace these detrimental ways of thinking about themselves or the world around them.
I incorporate DBT into my practice as a way to reduce inner-conflict and implement greater mindfulness. This can be helpful in reducing interpersonal conflict and building upon a sense of feeling more in control of yourself and your emotions.