About Me

Mission & Philosophy

Therapy offers potential for healing and opportunity for growth, and I am passionate about supporting clients through this process. I believe that each person has a unique story and carries valuable potential. I help clients develop the personal strength and balance needed to meet life’s challenges, and I empower clients to live authentic, purposeful, and connected lives. My goal is for clients to feel heard, supported, and guided by our work together. 

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Client Populations & Identities
 

I work with individual adults of all ages and teens aged 13-17. I especially enjoy and mainly work with college students, young adults, and young women. 

 

I welcome and support all types of diversity in my practice. I have professional experience working with clients of various racial and ethnic identities, LGBTQ+ communities, neurodiversity, and alternative relationship styles.

I encourage open discussion about how clients' identities and intersectionality may present and impact therapy. I'm also happy to answer any questions about myself and/or my identity, to the extent this may support clients' therapuetic work and the client-therapist relationship. I am female-identified and my pronouns are she/her. 
 

Practice Areas & Presenting Issues
 

I work with a variety of presenting issues and concerns including:

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• Depression and mood disorders

• General anxiety and stress

• Challenges with coping skills and self-care

• ADHD and executive functioning issues

• Autism spectrum and neurodivergence 

• LGBTQ, gender, and sexuality 

• Young adult and college-related concerns

• Life transitions and identity development

• ​Low self-esteem and/or low confidence

• Perfectionism and/or inner criticism

• Peer relationships and social difficulties

• Marriage and intimate partner/relationship issues

• Codependency, boundaries, and attachment issues

• Family conflict and communication

• Family of origin/developmental trauma and Complex PTSD

• Grief and loss experiences

• Self-harming

• Spirituality and existential concerns

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My Therapeutic Approach
 

My approach is founded on a collaborative and respectful relationship with clients, as well as a strong sense of authenticity and integrity that I bring to my practice. I have been described as a welcoming, enthusiastic, and attentive therapist who creates a comfortable and fully accepting environment.

 

While I provide clients ample space, I'm not the type of therapist who sits back, nods, and gives an occasional "Mmm hmm." I dialogue with clients, I ask meaningful questions, and I provide observations and interpretations when needed.

 

Research shows that a positive and trusting client-therapist relationship is a main factor in successful therapy. To that end, I welcome honest feedback and invite clients to talk with me openly about their experience of working with me. 

Theories and Modalities Used

My work with all clients is founded on a few core, related theories of psychotherapy. From there I tailor my approach to an individual client’s concerns and therapy goals, often integrating a variety of methods and interventions into sessions. 
 

• My practice is mainly founded on Humanistic and Existential theories and it is person-centered and strengths-based. These theories take a positive approach to treatment and emphasize a client's subjective experience, inherent goodness, resilience, and potential for growth and self-actualization — rather than treating a client as flawed and their problems as pathology that needs to be fixed. 
   

• I also often utilize a combination of Psychodynamic, Attachment, and Family Systems theories to help clients understand their interpersonal relationships and gain insight into past experiences and patterns that impact current life challenges. 
   

• With my background in art and design, I enjoy incorporating Expressive Arts activities into sessions, especially with teen clients. Such activities can include writing, painting, drawing, and collage-making with a variety of materials to explore thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
   

• I have extensive professional and personal experience with both the Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I'm happy to use both or either of these personality frameworks with clients who are interested, whether new beginners or those with prior experience. Rather than to limit or define a person, the goal in using these systems is to develop understanding of the self and others for personal growth. 
   

Depending on a client's needs and goals in therapy, I may also draw on principles and skills from:
 

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) examines how thoughts, feelings, and actions influence and impact one another.
   

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) balances opposite concepts of change and acceptance and focuses on skills such as distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
   

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) works towards psychological flexibility, accepting emotions, and choosing actions based on one's values.
   

• Mindfulness-based interventions help develop awareness of the present moment with compassion and without judgment. Mindfulness is often a component of CBT, DBT, and ACT. ​