What does a first session with you look like?
I believe that the first session is so important. Therapy begins when you are able to trust the process. I understand that it can be difficult to speak to a stranger about things that are affecting your mental and emotional health. So, I will work initially to build the therapeutic relationship so you can gain trust in the overall process. I will provide psychoeducation that includes what you can expect from me during our work together and how you can contribute to your own success. I will generally complete a bio-psycho-social assessment during the first session to gather information about your presenting concerns and how it is affecting various areas of functioning. We will generally close out the session with a discussion on developing a treatment plan to improve presenting symptoms and overall functioning.
What is your style/approach to therapy?
I primarily work from a person-centered approach. I view therapy as a collaborative process. I will supply a safe space with unconditional positive regard, support and guidance so you can discover your own strengths and solutions. However, I consider myself very much an eclectic therapist, as I structure my approach based on the unique needs of you, the client. I will often incorporate Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness, Solution Focused, and Narrative approaches among others to discover what will work best for your unique needs.
What do you think is the biggest barrier today for people seeking care?
One of the biggest barriers that still exists in mental health is that of stigma. We need to talk about mental health. We need to normalize therapy. Mental Health is part of overall health. I am passionate about working to end the stigma surrounding mental health treatment and I believe making therapy more easily accessible is a good step in that process. Online therapy is an important part of this. Individuals can more easily access services when they need them and from the comfort and safety of their own home. Therapists can meet individuals "where they are" and provide support in a way that has not really been available until recently. Increasing access to services is a good step in decreasing the overall stigma surrounding mental health treatment.
Specialties
Depression
Depression often causes people to feel sad, empty, or hopeless, and can cause a lack of interest in life. It can also affect a person's thinking patterns and physical health.
Anxiety
Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that entails excessive, repeated bouts of worry, anxiety, and/or fear.
Panic attacks & panic disorder
Panic attacks are acute conditions in which one experiences an intense bout of anxiety out of seemingly nowhere. This oftentimes stems from a perceived rather than actual threat. Symptoms may include heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath. Panic disorder involves regular frequency of panic attacks (two or more) with a fear of experiencing more in the future.
Substance abuse
Substance abuse is the intentional misuse of a substances (e.g., alcohol, prescription drugs, OTC medications, recreational and street drugs, household chemicals). This may include binge drinking or taking twice the prescribed dose of painkillers. For substances considered illegal and/or extremely detrimental to well-being, using even once may be considered substance abuse. Because of the addiction potential for many substances, abuse oftentimes leads to addiction.
General Expertise
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the degree to which a person feels confident, valuable, and worthy of respect. Feeling low self-esteem can influence overall well-being and be linked to anxiety and/or depression.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety or social phobia is fear of social situations or a fear of interacting with people other than close friends and family. Social anxiety can be persistent, intense, and debilitating, greatly affecting daily life.
Addiction
Regular involvement with a substance or activity in a compulsive, hard to control way that often has harmful consequences. Often refers to substance use, but can include compulsive behaviors such as sex, gambling, or shopping.
Abuse/Survivors of abuse
Abuse includes any significant mistreatment along the lines of psychical, emotional, sexual, verbal, and neglect. Survivors of abuse may experience negative thoughts and feelings, flashbacks, distrust of others, social withdrawal, self-harm, and increased likelihood of developing mental health and substance abuse issues.
Anger management
It's normal to experience anger at times, but for some, it becomes so frequent, intense, or difficult to control that it negatively affects their life. Anger management is a structured therapeutic approach toward reducing one’s anger to a point where more appropriate coping and/or conflict management skills are used. Beliefs and thoughts leading toward anger outbursts are explored while healthy coping and interpersonal skills are put into practice.
In-Network Insurance
Sana Benefits
Fees
$120
First Session
$100
Individual Therapy
Types of Therapy
Individual Session
Clientele
Young Adults (18-24)
Adults (25-65)
Treatment Approaches / Modalities
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mindfulness Practices
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Eclectic Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Narrative Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Licensure
NC, LCMHC, 13869
Education
Masters in Professional Counseling, Liberty University
Work History
I have four years of experience in providing counseling services to adults and children, and another year of providing crisis counseling and case management services as a victim's advocate. I have a special interest in Women’s issues including substance abuse and trauma. In my career, I have spent time as a crisis counselor at a Domestic Violence shelter and an advocate for women who have experienced sexual assault. I completed my Counseling Practicum and Internship at a residential substance abuse program for women and their children. I have worked in my local Department of Social Services providing substance abuse assessments and consultation to felons and others seeking county services. Additionally, I have spent time working at a community mental health agency working with all ages to provide therapy, assessment and case management services. I have an eclectic counseling style, which is primarily rooted in Person-Centered therapy, but also includes elements of Cognitive Behavioral, Narrative, and Solution-Focused Brief therapy, as well as Mindfulness techniques. I believe in the power of thoughts to drive emotional and behavioral responses, and provide a safe place for clients to express these thoughts and feelings, while teaching coping skills to lessen symptoms.
Location
TeleHealth, Raleigh, NC