My Approach to Helping

Life is like a roller coaster, it is full of ups and downs and twists and turns. The ride is amazing when things are going good, but unfortunately sometimes those dips and turns can be unexpected and unwanted surprises while other times they are things that you have been struggling with for quite some time. As your therapist, I want to give you the time and the space so that you can begin to heal. I want to join you on your ride through life and start helping you learn how to navigate these difficult times in a healthy and meaningful way. Life can be hard and you don't have to do it on your own. Let me help you create a new way of living that leads you back to happiness.

How will we do this? When you come to therapy with me, you won't be analyzed or judged. Instead you will be accepted and supported. You and I will work together to decide what your therapy experience will look like. Together we will create goals and identify areas of your life that you would like to change or improve upon. We will recognize your strengths and use these to help make these changes. Remember without change, nothing will change. My hope is that by doing this, you get the life you have always wanted and so deserve.

More Info About My Practice

I began my career working with grieving families at Annie's Hope: The Bereavement Center for Kids. While working with Annie's Hope, I coordinated support groups for grieving families to attend and also supported families who had a family member diagnosed with a serious illness. This experience led to my passion of working with grieving individuals. It is a privilege for families to allow me to support them and be there with them during one of life's most difficult moments. I will support you before a death happens if your family member is diagnosed with a serious illness and continue to be there for you after the death occurs. Not all therapists have the knowledge and training to adequately support you while you are grieving the death of someone significant. So many factors play a part in what your grief will look like; how did this person die, what was your relationship like with this person, is this your first experience with grief, and the list goes on and on. Grief doesn't look the same and certainly isn't experienced the same by all individuals. Even within a family, each family member's needs and struggles can be vastly different. Your grief is unique and so is my approach to working with you. I use a variety of therapeutic tools in addition to talk therapy such as music, journaling, games, books, and art. This allows you and your family to use skills and hobbies you already have in new and useful ways to help you rebuild and redefine your life during difficult times.

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

While working with grieving teens and kids, I began to notice that many of the girls that I was working with also struggled with low self-esteem, poor body image, and social anxiety. This led me to discover the second area of therapy that I am very passionate about. After receiving additional training in young girl issues and therapy, I began a program called L4: Learning to Live, Love, and Laugh. This is a 6-week program for girls ages elementary through high school. This program helps girls of all ages learn how to LIVE life to its fullest, LOVE without the fear of being hurt and LAUGH as much as possible. Confidence is the #1 defense against bullies and peer issues so this group allows girls to empower and support each other with individual and group goals. Creative tools such as music, art, and games will be used along with discussion to help group members learn how to live a happy and healthy life both physically and mentally. Topics that could be covered during group meetings include:
- Self-Esteem
- Peer Pressure
- Body Image
- Negative Self-Talk
- Peer Issues
- Bullying
- Stress Management and Coping Skills
- How to deal with depression, anxiety, & self-harm

What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist

Having the opportunity to be allowed to experience and hear about your most difficult moments in life is a gift that my client's give me. I feel very honored to be trusted with your memories. I originally decided to become a therapist after going to therapy myself. I wanted to help others, as I had been helped. As a teenager, my mom died and I very quickly realized the tremendous benefits that therapy could offer. Therapy allowed me and my family to learn how to adjust to a life without my mom and learn meaningful ways to keep her memory a part of our lives going forward. Most importantly, I learned how to keep living in spite of this loss. My own experience in therapy gave me many helpful coping tools that I have used throughout my teen and adult years. Having this experience, truly makes me appreciate those who are reaching out for help and has given me the passion to continue helping others as they struggle with life's many difficult obstacles.