My Approach to Helping
My approach to counseling includes a client-centered approach establishing a strong working relationship. There are no \"one-size-fits-all approaches\" to address all problems with all individuals. As a result, I use a variety of approaches working with clients to meet their goals. I seek to understand the impact of a client\'s life-experiences, family history, personality, values, etc. on their development and relationships with others. I can work with individuals who have ambivalence about making changes & gain insight into problematic behaviors.
Depression; anxiety; grief; relationship strengthening & resolution of challenges; life-transitions; sexuality & gender-identity expression (LGBT) exploration & development; career/vocational counseling; family-of-origin issues; trauma & the impact of trauma on current functioning; women\'s issues; spirituality; self-esteem; training & supervision; Animal-Assisted Therapy; Emotion-Focused Couples therapy; & EMDR.
Although my beloved therapy dog passed away last year, the use of dogs in therapy has been a unique aspect of my clinical work. It is well-known that animals help lower blood pressure, regulate heart-rate, and reduce stress in general. All of these factors are helpful in the therapy process.
