New to Grow
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 17 years of experience in mental health and a background serving in the Army in a medical capacity. I specialize in trauma, OCD, and working with first responders and high-functioning adults navigating anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and chronic stress. My approach is structured, evidence-based, and collaborative. I value honesty, accountability, and measurable progress, and I create a space where humor and hard conversations can coexist. If you’re looking for straightforward therapy that respects your resilience while helping you move forward, you’re in the right place.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we’ll focus on understanding what brings you in and what you want to change. I’ll ask structured but conversational questions about your current concerns, relevant history, stressors, coping patterns, and goals. This isn’t an interrogation, and it’s not a deep dive into trauma on day one unless that feels appropriate. The priority is building clarity and establishing a direction. We’ll begin identifying patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, trauma symptoms, OCD cycles, depression, or stress, and I’ll explain how I think about treatment so you know what to expect moving forward. If you’re dealing with suicidal thoughts, we’ll address that directly and collaboratively in a calm, structured way. You’ll leave the first session with a clearer understanding of the plan, what we’re targeting, and how therapy will work. My goal is for you to feel informed, respected, and confident about next steps, not overwhelmed.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths are structure, clarity, and the ability to balance directness with steadiness. Clients often tell me they appreciate knowing exactly what we’re working on and why. I don’t take a passive approach to therapy, I help you identify patterns, build practical skills, and create measurable movement. I’m particularly strong in trauma and PTSD treatment, OCD treatment using ERP, and suicide-specific care through the CAMS framework. I’m comfortable working with complex presentations, including high-functioning individuals who appear “fine” externally but are struggling internally. I can hold direct conversations about intrusive thoughts, compulsions, trauma, or suicidal ideation without overreacting or minimizing. Another strength is integrating cognitive and somatic work. I don’t just address thought patterns, I help regulate the nervous system so your body can support the cognitive shifts we’re making. This often leads to more sustainable results. Clients describe my approach as grounded, straightforward, and steady under pressure. I create a space where humor and hard topics can coexist, and where growth happens through accountability, not shame.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My ideal clients are veterans, first responders, and high-functioning adults who are used to handling a lot and are starting to realize their usual strategies aren’t working the way they used to. Many of the people I work with are navigating trauma, PTSD, OCD, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, chronic stress, or suicidal thoughts. They’re often competent, responsible, and relied upon by others, but internally exhausted or stuck. I’m a strong fit for clients who want structured, evidence-based therapy and are open to being challenged respectfully. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you do need to be willing to engage in the process. If you’re motivated for change, ready to understand your patterns, and willing to practice skills between sessions, we’ll work well together. Whether you’re adjusting to life after service, managing intrusive thoughts and compulsions, processing trauma, or trying to recalibrate after prolonged stress, my goal is to help you build sustainable change, not just temporary relief.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and modify unhelpful thought patterns, behavioral avoidance, and cognitive distortions that contribute to anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms, and stress. My approach to CBT is structured and collaborative, we define specific goals, examine thinking patterns, test beliefs against evidence, and build practical coping skills. I emphasize behavioral activation and exposure-based strategies when appropriate, ensuring therapy results in measurable change rather than insight alone.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) primarily for PTSD and trauma-related conditions. CPT focuses on identifying and restructuring “stuck points” rigid beliefs about safety, trust, control, guilt, and self-worth that develop after traumatic experiences. I guide clients through structured worksheets and cognitive restructuring exercises while also monitoring nervous system activation. My background working with veterans and high-stress populations informs how I pace trauma work to balance accountability with stabilization.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
I provide structured Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and anxiety disorders. ERP involves intentionally confronting feared thoughts, images, or situations while reducing compulsive behaviors and reassurance-seeking. I collaborate with clients to build a graded exposure hierarchy and track progress over time. I also integrate ACT principles to increase psychological flexibility and tolerance of uncertainty. ERP is active and at times uncomfortable, but when done systematically, it is highly effective in reducing OCD symptoms.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients increase psychological flexibility, reduce experiential avoidance, and align behaviors with core values. ACT is particularly helpful for anxiety, OCD, trauma recovery, chronic stress, and depression. In practice, I incorporate mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive defusion strategies, and values clarification exercises. ACT complements exposure-based and cognitive therapies by strengthening clients’ ability to tolerate discomfort while moving toward meaningful action.
Somatic
My somatic approach focuses on nervous system regulation and the physiological impact of trauma and chronic stress. Many clients present with hypervigilance, shutdown, fatigue, or chronic tension. I integrate body-based interventions such as grounding, interoceptive awareness, breathwork, and regulation strategies to address trauma stored in the nervous system. This approach supports cognitive work by improving emotional regulation and increasing capacity for trauma processing.