My Approach to Helping
I would identify my specialties as anxiety, depression, trauma work, enhancing effective communication, and processing significant life events. The ages I work with most often are youth and adolescents through young adulthood, as well as adults and couples. Although I am knowledgeable about various treatment approaches, I often utilize family systems theory, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and humanistic therapy.
My ideal client is likely an adolescent or young adult presenting with anxiety and mild depression related to life transitions and related stressors. Their goals would be to gain a greater understanding of and confidence in their own abilities to successfully manage difficult emotions and adjustments. They would want a clinician who is empathetic and willing to work with them to identify triggers to anxiety/depression and build effective techniques for change in a safe environment.
I can help by allowing individuals to explore and understand their functioning by focusing on their interactions with their family of origin and family of choice, as well as understanding the ways in which transactional patterns of their family system shape their behavior. I can also help through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, specifically focusing on increased awareness of unhelpful thinking, which helps to identify patterns of unhealthy behavior, and introduce improved coping techniques that my client can
be empowered to implement.