(she/her)
New to Grow
As cheesy as it may sound, I've known that being a therapist was my calling from the time I was 16 years old and took my very first psychology class. In the many years since, I have been honored to walk through life's highs and lows and everything in between with my clients. In past career iterations, I have worked in a hospital as a medical social worker and case manager, and then as a therapist at a Partial Hospitalization Program. These experiences have helped to shape my worldview and practice, as a clinician and as a person. Being a therapist is truly my dream job, and I am so proud to be here doing it. When I'm not working, I am usually spending time with my fiance and any combination of our 4 pets--snuggling up with the cats and a book, or outside adventuring with the dogs. My goal is to train my youngest chaos gremlin, Charlie, as a therapy dog!
In our first session, my primary goal is to get to know you. The strength of the relationship between client and clinician is one of the best indicators of a positive healing journey, and the first session is the base of that relationship.
My greatest strengths as a therapist are my authenticity and my ability to meet clients where they're at. I've never known how to be anyone but myself, and that has lead to a relatively straightforward, compassionate approach to therapy. We're all humans here, and that's how I approach the therapy space as well. I prefer to use an eclectic mix of narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy with a sprinkle of cognitive behavioral therapy, but each client is different, and I take pride in tailoring my approach to your needs and personality.
My ideal clients are almost any clients really--I have both worked hard and been lucky with a very diverse working experience. With a background in medial social work and then working at a Partial Hospitalization Program, I've been privileged to work with clients from all backgrounds and walks of life. I have the most experience with folks who are working through grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. I do only work with adults at this time.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I've really come by my appreciation for ACT naturally--it wasn't the first treatment method that I gravitated to right out of school, but as I've been practicing longer and seeing the true value it can hold for people, it has become more and more of a mainstay for me in my practice. Understanding our values helps us feel more secure and confident in who we are, which in turn helps us lead a more full and joyful life.
Narrative
Narrative therapy comes very naturally to me as a lifelong reader. Our lives can so easily be envisioned as a story, and it serves to remind us that while we may not be able to rewrite past chapters, we do have a say in how future chapters are written. I have enjoyed using narrative therapy in a group setting the most, but it works really well in individual therapy as well.
Relational
The relationship between a therapist and their clients is one of the best predictors of a successful therapeutic journey, and thus I strongly believe in relational therapy being almost foundational. I have never been a blank slate therapist and never will be--you'll always find me being my authentic self in session as much as possible, and I hope this helps clients to feel confident in doing the same.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is the bread and butter of therapy at the moment, and while it has received some flak in the field, I do believe it has value in the right situations. I've been using CBT for years, and primarily I believe the cognitive model has excellent usability as an accessible way to start the process of increasing emotional intelligence and beginning behavior change.
Trauma Informed Care
Much of my career has been defined by trauma informed care. It has truly changed the way that I see mental health both on a large and small scale. I have been very lucky to have experienced excellent mentorship and supervision with clinicians who have shaped the way I practice trauma informed care: with compassion, understanding, and most importantly as a human being first.