I am a licensed psychotherapist with over ten years of experience
working with young adults, millennials, and adults
who are struggling with... well, LIFE !
If you have found yourself questioning:
"Who am I? Where am I going? What on earth is my purpose?",
then you're on the right site!
How can I help?
Here is where I could start by listing my trainings, degrees, and qualifications (more on that next) but more importantly...
I can help because I have also been there, done that, and put in the work to conquer my own perfectionism, self-doubt, and fears through some of the same strategies described down below.
So yeah, I get it.
I know how uncomfortable and scary it is to take this step, but I also know that on the other side is a life full of freedom and contentment. Our journey's may not look the same but I strongly believe in "practicing what I preach" so that I can most effectively support you in achieving your goals.
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I describe my therapeutic style as authentic, transparent, warm, non-judgmental, and irreverent...
meaning that, sometimes I will call you on your stuff (!) but in a way that is compassionate, respectful, and productive.
We will definitely laugh a lot, learn a lot, and we will certainly grow a lot together during your journey!
My goal is to help individuals to fully heal, energize, and become aware of their inner strengths in a safe and supportive environment. We achieve this by integrating didactic treatment strategies derived from: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Prolonged Exposure, mindfulness-based therapy, and compassion focused techniques.
In other words, I will teach you concrete skills, tools, and strategies to help you reduce and change problem behaviors, improve relationships (with self, food, body and others), and have more control over your mind and emotions. These skills are the gateway to discovering your deepest values, passions, and the highest version of self so that you can start building a meaningful and intentional life that's worth living.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a unique approach to psychotherapy. ART is unique because the ART Therapist guides the client to replace the negative images in the mind that cause the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress with positive images of the client’s choosing. And this is done quickly, most often within one session! Once the negative images have been replaced by positive ones, the triggers will be gone. Nightmares and repeated intrusive thoughts will stop. ART is proven to be effective with a variety of challenges and disorders not limited to: insomnia, anxiety, phobias, panic, OCD, eating disorders, and anything that a person finds challenging within their daily life.
If you've ever googled this, you know that there are many different variations of the definition! You've also probably noticed that it's a super "trendy" thing right now in our culture, but mindfulness has been practiced in Eastern parts of the world for literally THOUSANDS of years, because it works... like REALLY works.
In essence, mindfulness is the ability to live life in the present moment by paying attention to our bodies, minds, and external experiences in a way that is compassionate and non-judgmental.
According to Buddhist teachings, mindfulness practice helps to develop self-knowledge and wisdom said to eventually lead to "enlightenment" or the complete freedom from suffering (woo hoo!).
Growing research in the field indicates that cultivating a mindful lifestyle can significantly improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, concentration, and emotional reactivity (another, woo hoo!).
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced based treatment first developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the early 90's intended to help individuals struggling with chronic self-harm behaviors and Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT has since evolved to successfully treat a wide variety of mental health disorders including: PTSD, eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, and more!
In a nutshell, the ultimate goal of DBT is to help clients build a life that is worth living by reducing ineffective behaviors and replacing them with skillful ones! This is done by teaching you skills to CHANGE problem behaviors and emotions, and also, ACCEPT the emotions and moments that you simply cannot change.
Skill modules include: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Chances are if you scrolled down this far already, a part of you is desperate to let go of the obsessive thoughts about: what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, calories, diets, and how it will all impact the number on the scale, appearance, size, and sense of self. You may, or may not be, just as desperate to let go of the behaviors that temporarily quiet the thoughts such as: bingeing, purging, over exercising, and restricting. While you may know rationally that these thoughts and behaviors have held you hostage to your own body and mind for so long, you are also probably terrified of even imagining a life without them. Yes, change is scary AND it's completely liberating as it is the only path to freedom and healing!
Wherever you fall on this spectrum of readiness for change, I will meet you there, support you, and guide you toward a life of full recovery. Yes, I do believe full recovery is possible!
Unsure of what major to choose? Unsatisfied with your career choice? Wondering why you keep finding yourself in that same "type" of relationship again and again? Do you often feel like you should have ALREADY had the wedding, the baby, and landed the dream job? Worry that time is ticking away and you are still living an unfulfilled life?
Being an adult in today's society is HARD and can trigger a lot of new anxiety, perfectionism, comparisons, and uncertainty. Let me help you surrender to the unknown, let go of the "timeline", and start living your life to the fullest right now.
You may already be asking yourself, "but was that really considered a 'trauma' "? It's important to know that trauma does not discriminate and people experience different trauma's on different levels, yet the impact that these experiences can have on ones life can be equally as damaging.
Anxiety, fear, shame, and hopelessness are a few emotions that can linger long after traumatic experiences and can really get in the way of functioning and living. I can help you overcome these symptoms and guide you through the process of grief and healing through education, exposure, and behavior therapies.
Depression, fear, and anxiety are some of the most common and uncomfortable emotions that we can experience at some point in our lives. Through counseling, treatment, and skills training, I am able to help you recover motivation, perspective, and joy that you once had in your life.
