(she/her)
I come from the view that in a therapeutic relationship, trust, respect, and openness are essential. This combination allows us to feel safe, and in turn, the magic of therapy is able to happen. Life is full of ups and downs, micro-traumas and complex traumas, difficult decisions and challenging relationships. I am here to walk alongside you through the hardest moments to the most joyful. My biggest focus is always removing judgment from your experience and creating space to process and reflect, in a non judgmental way. I focus on self-acceptance, while also creating changes where needed. I have had extensive experience working with youth and young adults from ages 13 to 25. I find that these can be the most challenging and exciting times of our lives. This time can be scary as we discover ourselves, who we are, and what we want. Along with this demographic, I have done special trainings to better serve my clients that have experienced traumas in their life. Therapy is a crucial part of self care. I believe that we all deserve to be heard and understood by someone that allows us to be ourselves.
Therapy is a process! And sometimes it can be uncomfortable and challenging, especially in the beginning. Expect your first session to be information gathering. I will ask questions to get to know you and create an image for myself of what your struggles are, your background, what you have been through, and how these events may have effected you. This also allows me to create a diagnosis and understand where to focus clinical attention. I also work collaboratively with clients to develop individual goals. Sometimes I assign homework as it relates to the challenges we discuss in session and sometimes the work is allowing clients to process outside of session and with the people important in their lives. I always want a client to feel empowered when they leave.
I use self reflection, EMDR, relaxation skills, art therapy, journaling, and the occasional worksheet to help in processing. I often focus on emotional awareness and identification of emotions, as this allows clients to reconnect with themselves and their values.
I enjoy working through traumas that clients have experienced. People will often feel "stuck" in their traumas and I find it rewarding when a client can finally make peace with what has happened to them.