Helping People Find Therapists & Advocating for Ethical and Healthy Therapy & Marriage Counseling Practices

My Approach to Helping

I believe that people have everything within themselves to make the changes they want. I also believe that our ability to see our own inner strengths can be masked by past experiences and abuse, by our own resultant fears, anger, isolation, and various ways that we protect ourselves from further harm. We need our self protective parts; this is how we have survived our life history. The problem with this approach is that we tend to wall our hurt in with the protective measures we use, continuing to hurt ourselves even as we are trying to protect ourselves from further pain. I use a relational approach to therapy, providing a connection with another person who believes in the inner power and strength we each contain within ourselves. To this end, I use a variety of theories, techniques, and approaches that compliment this belief and are specific to the needs of the individual with whom I am working.

 

More Info About My Practice

Please feel free to connect to my website for more information on my philosophy, training, experience, current workshops, fees, and general office policies and information.
The book I co-authored with PeggyEllen Kleinleader, "The Thursday Group: A story and information for girls healing from sexual abuse". Or, check out our blogspot

 

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

I started my career as a therapist knowing that I wanted to work with survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I have focused on this issue since I was a 17 year old college freshman, and have continued to be passionate about the subject. I had the opportunity to work with several amazing therapists who have helped to shape my philosophies and beliefs about healing, and who have contributed to how I help others. As my practice has evolved over the years, I have worked more within the areas of trauma that sexual abuse can influence; attachment issues, relationship challenges, isolation, depression, and anxiety, PTSD symptoms, self harm and suicidal ideation, eating disorders, substance abuse. These masks of trauma are the ways individuals protect themselves from further hurt, but they are only symptoms of the deeper issues. I feel strongly that even people who think they are damaged and unrepairable are full of so much more potential than they know.

 

My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy affords us an opportunity to look within ourselves and identify those aspects of ourselves we want to encourage and build upon and those parts we want to help move into a more positive light. It is sometimes a painful process of uncovering realizations, challenging precious beliefs, and ending patterns and relationships that are no longer helpful to us. It can be scary, exciting, freeing, and sad. But it is always a chance for us to shed long held hurts that no longer belong to us, and an opportunity to become the best version of ourselves possible.

 

What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist

I love working with people and seeing them do the hard work of learning to understand themselves and reinventing themselves into the full potential of who they can be. I am amazed by the courage and tenacity of people who have been hurt and are willing to take the difficult and painful steps of healing themselves. They are doing the work so many others avoid and are afraid of. It is this type of heroic courage that keeps me coming back into the office day after day. I am honored to be a part of the trusted few who get to be a part of someone's healing journey.

 

My Role as a Therapist

Services I Provide

• Individual Therapy & Counseling
• Marriage, Couples, or Relationship Counseling
• Family Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Consultation
• Clinical Supervision
• Other

Ages I Work With

• Children
• Teens
• Adults
• Elders

Languages I Speak

• English

Groups I Work With

I specialize in the treatment of trauma, particularly sexual abuse, and those issues that are often associated with trauma, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, self harm, eating disorders, trust and relationship issues, attachment difficulties, and feelings of emptiness.

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Anger Management
• Art Therapy
• Body Psychotherapy
• Breathwork
• Client-Directed Outcome-Informed Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy /REBT
• Creative Art Therapy
• Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
• Drama Therapy
• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
• Emotion Focused Couples Therapy
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Family Attachment Narrative Therapy
• Family Systems Therapy
• Feminist Therapy
• Filial Therapy
• Integration of different therapy models
• Internal Family Systems
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Object Relations
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
• Play Therapy
• Positive Psychotherapy
• Relational Psychotherapy
• Sand Tray / Sand Play Therapy
• Self Psychology
• Solution Focused Therapy
• Systems Theory /Therapy
• Theraplay
• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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Concerns & Issues I Help With

• Identity Issues
• Attachment
• Reproduction
• Abuse: Emotional, Physical, or Sexual
• Trauma
• Addictions & Compulsions
• Life Changes
• Family Problems
• Childhood & Adolescence
• Social Skills & Problems
• Emotion Management
• Anxiety, Fear, & Stress
• Depression & Mood
• Health & Body
• Relationships & Marriage
• Self-Esteem & Confidence
• Occupational & Academic Issues
• Self-Harm & Suicide
• Sexuality
• Spirituality