I have worked with adolescents in a variety of settings since 2006 and I have been doing individual and family counseling with adolescents since 2015. I also provide individual therapy to adults and I can integrate faith into therapy if that is important to you. If spirituality isn't something you want to discuss in therapy, it will not be. Ultimately, I desire to help people become who God has created them to be, whatever their beliefs are.
I believe our thoughts impact how we feel. and how we feel impacts what we do, thus I am a cognitive-based therapist and very skills-focused as I help people cope with stressors and reach goals.
I specialize in addressing issues related to depression, anxiety, stress, anger, communication problems, and family conflict. I also know what it's like to live with depression and anxiety, having addressed these issues in my own life.
I consider it a privilege to meet people where they are and join them on their personal journey. My goal is to understand your goals and help you achieve them.
I use a person center, non-judgmental approach and want to understand where you are coming from and what you want to work on.
The first session is a time for me to get to know you, and also for you to get to know me. Questions about how I do therapy and why I do certain things are welcome, and if I can't tell you why I'm doing something, then I shouldn't be doing it.
If you've done therapy before, it helps me to know what was helpful and not helpful from your experience. From there, I will ask questions about your interests, support system, and how you currently cope with triggers and stressors. I also ask about sleep, diet, exercise, and other factors that impact mood, focus, and energy levels.
I want to know about your concerns and what you are looking for out of therapy. So the first session includes setting goals for the next 3 months, and goal progress is formally reviewed every 90 days.
The three-month mark is a good time to determine if there's been progress and whether therapy with me is effective, and it's an easy off-ramp if you've gotten what you need or it's determined that another approach would be a better fit. If we agree to continue, then we will revamp goals or continue to build on the progress toward the goals you have already been working on. You can end therapy at any time, every 3 months is just a good time to review progress and update goals.
