New to Grow
I have more than three decades of personal and school counseling experience to share with my clients. I have worked in both private and Catholic schools. I have been a private therapist for eight years. I am also the proud mother of four adult sons. My life story includes some personal and professional obstacles, and I draw on these experiences to help my clients. I am especially empathetic to clients with physical challenges, as I cope with a partial hearing loss. That empathy helps me serve clients with physical disabilities in addition to a wide variety of mental health challenges. I am privileged to serve anyone, but I have found my skills are particularly effective with children, teens, college students, and young adults who are navigating transitions, confidence, motivation or emotional challenges. I humbly believe my compassion and empathy are particularly helpful to this age group.
After we introduce ourselves to each other, the intake session will include a series of questions. This enables me to gain a solid grasp of the client's challenges. This initial session is very important, as the client needs to feel comfortable with me. I also work to gather enough information to start strategizing future sessions that will best serve the client. I am confident that in our first session, my empathy for others, caring spirit, and ability to help find solutions will shine through. I'm proud that some of my clients have stayed with me for several years, and they continue to set new goals to lead them to more serenity and happiness. I believe the journey is as important as the destination, and the road to progress is different for everyone. I consider it a privilege to help my clients find their path to self-improvement.
I am an empathetic person, and a keenly interested listener. I prefer to listen and learn before I talk. This is the best way to approach therapy. I am proud of my ability to offer different ideas to different people, as no two clients are alike. My approach is personalized, as every set of challenges is unique to that client. As an experienced counselor and therapist, I have helped clients confront an extensive variety of challenges. I have learned strategies that are successful, and also approaches that don't work as well. This experience allows me to identify the right approach for each individual client.
As a certified school counselor, I have worked with many students who are experiencing social, emotional, and behavioral issues. My passion is to help children, teens, and young adults develop the skills they need to reach their highest potential. This includes clients in high school and college, or those gaining training experience or seeking other employment. I find it most gratifying to help students find their passions and motivation for learning and success with social and employability skills, and overcome and barriers presented in their path for success. I believe the ideal client for me is someone who knows they need help, and is willing to share, even if they can't identify the exact problem yet.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use this every day in my practice when working with students. It helps me to identify problem areas and find solutions to the client's concerns. I believe CBT can help clients change how they think and act. I believe one of my strengths is getting clients to open up and break the ice on their challenges. Therefore, talk therapy is a great way for me to get to the root of the problem for my clients.