“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”
Why might I need counseling?
Counseling is different things to different people. Some people need to heal from past trauma. Some are seeking relief from specific symptoms or conditions, such as depression and anxiety, as well as skills such as stress management, coping strategies, and communication. Others are looking for guidance in their lives, and benefit from exploring aspects such as their purpose, passions, relationships, interactional patterns, and habits. Some people just need someone to talk to, without judgement, to help them sort things out.
The first step is a thorough assessment of current issues, history, and goals. From there, I recommend a treatment plan, including therapy approach and next steps.
What are your approaches or methods?
I have a strong interest in using mindfulness and holistic wellness concepts in the treatment process, in order to address all aspects of clients’ individual needs, including the emotional, social, spiritual, physical, and intellectual domains, particularly in the treatment of trauma.
I have developed a therapy style that fully incorporates an individual’s strengths and goals into the treatment plan, and that emphasizes self-care and wellness as important components in healing. My goal in practice is to assist clients with managing difficult feelings and emotions, improving coping skills, developing strategies to minimize stress and obstacles, and making meaningful changes so that they can reach their own goals.
My specialized psychotherapy approaches include:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mindfulness
Solution-Focused Therapy
Play Therapy
Parenting Skills Training
Behavior Modification
Maternal and Infant Mental Health
Expressive therapies
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a comprehensive form of therapy with eight stages and specific protocols. It guides the client through processing a traumatic memory or distressing situation in order to decrease negative and difficult emotions that are associated with the memory, and also to assist with developing a more helpful set of thoughts and beliefs to promote more neutral or positive emotions. It utilizes a multitude of creative techniques and is widely used and highly effective in treating issues such as PTSD, anxiety and panic disorders, depression, phobias, body image issues, substance abuse, OCD, and childhood trauma, to name a few.
How long will I need to be in counseling?
Length of therapy is very individualized, and to be determined by your needs and goals.
Is counseling confidential?
At the initial session, we will discuss practices, session structure, and policies, including confidentiality and special considerations for children and parents.
I don’t want to go deep into my childhood. Can we just talk about what’s going on in my life right now?
One of the golden rules of Social Work is “meet the client where they are.” In other words, you drive the bus by defining your own goals and choosing the approach with which you are most comfortable; I help you navigate through the roadblocks that get in your way. That being said, sometimes through the therapy process, it becomes evident that delving into past issues would be most beneficial to assisting you in the present, especially if you experienced traumatic events. I will always provide recommendations based on my ongoing assessment of your needs and goals, but you make the ultimate decision regarding the focus of your therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do you prescribe medications?
I do not prescribe medications.
Can I bring my kid for counseling?
Absolutely. I see children as young as 4 years old. Useful approaches in working with children include play therapy, EMDR, parenting skills training, behavior modification, CBT, art therapy, and mindfulness.
Children also benefit from skill-building to improve coping, stress management, problem solving, conflict resolution, and social skills.
Do you work with couples?
I do not work with couples or do marriage counseling. But I do work with individual clients on relationship issues if that is something they are dealing with.
I’m having suicidal thoughts. Who can I talk to?
If you feel you are in imminent danger, such as having suicidal thoughts – with or without a plan – please take immediate action by calling/texting a crisis hotline, calling 911, or going to the nearest emergency room. If possible, enlist the help of someone you trust to assist you with taking these steps.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number: 800-273-8255
Crisis text line: Text HOME to 741-741