My Approach to Counseling
“You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering.”
I understand, asking for help is difficult. Like many others, I have experienced events throughout my life that have left me feeling hopeless and helpless. As a result, I have been on both sides of the counseling couch. My early desire to learn how to cope with life stressors and figure myself out directed me to the field of Psychology. Seventeen years into my life’s work, I am still inspired by the resilience of the human spirit.
I believe in the healing power of the therapeutic relationship. Therefore, I structure my practice around providing a safe environment in which we can explore what might be keeping you stuck. Therapy is more than just listening. Good therapy is a collaborative effort between two people with one common goal: to help you overcome the obstacles preventing you from achieving the life you want to live.
I work with individuals ages 16 years of age and older. The length of time in treatment is primarily dependent on your needs and goals. Over the years I have worked with many different types of clients. Some clients want to spend as little time in therapy as possible, thus coming up with solutions and moving on. Other clients are looking for a long term relationship to work on issues that come up in daily life. It is customary for people to leave therapy for a while, and return later on as new issues arise. The greatest compliment is when clients come back to me after many years, or refer their friends or loved ones to me.
At heart, I am an existential, humanistic therapist who aims to assist individuals in understanding the bigger issues behind much of the dissatisfaction they are experiencing with life. I am honored to work with Veterans, military professionals and law enforcement. I also have extensive experience working with professionals in recovery. I approach counseling with the greatest of respect, and highest level of professional confidentiality. Vicissitudes are the difficult times we all go through. Together we can learn to accept them and cope with grace.
Cognitive Processing Therapy
CPT is a 12-16 session trauma focused treatment that has been shown to be highly effective for treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other related symptoms. I have been trained and supervised in this therapy, and have seen its success in my clients who have been willing to commit and put in the work.
Trauma Informed Therapy
The trauma that an individual experienced previously may impact their current life in a negative way. Trauma informed clinicians understand that the coping behaviors that were developed during the time of the trauma are detrimental to fostering healthy relationships in your current life. People with trauma will often state that they “don’t feel anything”. In fact, these individuals feel too much and experience a sense of shutting down. Working with a trauma-informed therapist can help you make sense of your history and assist you in finding new ways to cope.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT can help you identify and change destructive thought patterns that have a detrimental effect on mood. CBT focuses on challenging maladaptive thought patterns, and replacing them with realistic, objective thoughts. CBT has been found to be effective with many mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, phobias, sleep disorders and substance use disorders.
Existential-Humanistic
I believe that finding purpose and meaning in our lives is one of the most important things we do as human beings. This approach to therapy avoids diagnoses and labeling, and focuses on developing a personal identity so you can be present for the relationships that are most important to you. This approach also encourages personal growth amidst anxiety, using genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard.