Read my recent articles
What do you think is the biggest barrier today for people seeking care?
In most things, getting started is the hardest part. When we are struggling with anxiety, stress, or in troubled relationships it is hard to know what to do or how to change feelings that are overwhelming. The idea of facing all of these challenges and talking about them to someone that you don’t know is hard, especially if you have never been in counseling or had bad experiences with a previous therapist. Is counseling worth the money? How do I know who is the best therapist for my needs? These are big questions to sort through when feeling overwhelmed and confused. Luckily, it has never been easier to find the best therapist for your needs. Spending a few minutes searching online yields a ton of information about therapists in your state that offer online sessions. As the client, you are able to visit different therapist websites and profile pages to read their materials, read their articles, and watch videos to learn about their style and personality. Take this page as an example. You can see pictures of me, read about me, watch me in a video introducing myself and talking about my approach to counseling. All of this is meant to help you make the best decision possible when choosing the right therapist for your needs. Remember, getting started is the hardest part. Things will not change until you begin doing things differently. The opportunity of starting therapy with an experienced counselor will outweigh any barriers and help you feel better soon!
In what ways does your personality influence your approach to therapy?
Therapy is all about you, the client. Everything we talk about and do in therapy is designed to help you achieve your goals, feel better, and improve relationships. As a therapist with more than 10 years of experience helping hundreds of individuals and couples just like you I have developed a proven style of counseling that is client-centered. We will work together helping you manage anxiety and depression, improve trust and intimacy, and feel more confident. My goal in each and every session is to model patience, calmness, consistency, and use ‘care-frontation’ techniques to help you feel comfortable and gain insight from reflection. When I gently ‘push back’ or offer alternative ways to think about something it is with the intention of helping you gain clarity and new ways to approach problematic patterns. Since getting married and having children I have learned firsthand the ups and downs of relationships and the challenge of juggling the different roles of parent, friend, spouse, and worker. I use that awareness to inform our work and help you improve your relationships.
What does success look like in therapy? How will a client know that they are making progress?
Success is measured by positive changes in your everyday life. Your friends, family, and loved ones will notice that you have more energy, are less irritable, and project greater confidence. Therapy is successful when you feel better able to manage your feelings, relationships improve, or you are sleeping/eating/exercising and taking care of yourself in healthier ways. These changes can happen quickly or over the long-term, depending on how ready and engaged you are. It is my goal from the very first session together to help you learn and practice valuable, practical, and actionable skills. In every session we will ‘check-in’ on how things are going, track your feelings from session to session, and practice skills to directly address your needs. We will also discuss resources and how to use reflection in between sessions to practice what we are learning.
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.
Family issues
Familial relationships can be the source of stress and emotional pain, even in the healthiest of situations. Painful interactions can range from irritation to resentment and lead to feelings of guilt, disappointment, and anger.
Parenting issues
Parenting issues involve those associated with the child-rearing process. These may include safety, discipline, nutrition, finances, childcare, school, household rules, chores, daily routines, social activities, and relationships with extended family members. Because child-rearing practices vary by culture, cultural norms must be considered.
Sports psychology
The interdisciplinary science that studies how psychological factors impact athletic performance, exercise, physical activity, and sports. Considers the optimal athletic performance, well-being of athletes, social aspects of participation, and team functioning.
General Expertise
Work Stress
Workplace issues are a common source of stress and can include interpersonal conflict, communication problems, gossip, harassment, discrimination, low motivation and job satisfaction, performance issues, and poor job fit.
Relationship Issues
Refers relationship issues with a partner or spouse. Can include issues related to relationship distress, relationship satisfaction, communication, intimacy, etc.
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.
Adolescent mental health
Adolescent mental health focuses on adolescent-specific experiences including physical and cognitive development, social and environmental factors, sex, sexual identification and orientation, emotional processing, and substance use. Given the influence that parents/guardians have on adolescents, home life is a particularly important consideration.
Fees
$145
First Session
$145
Couples Therapy
$145
Individual Therapy
Types of Therapy
Couples Session
Individual Session
Clientele
Young Adults (18-24)
Adults (25-65)
Adolescents (13-17)
Treatment Approaches / Modalities
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Marriage and Family Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
The Gottman Method
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Training / Certifications
Trauma Focused - Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Licensure
FL, LCSW, SW15740
CO, LCSW, CSW.09923224
IL, LCSW, 149015355
Education
Doctor of Education, Executive Leadership, University of Colorado - Denver
Master of Social Work, Social Work, University of Illinois - Chicago
Work History
My desire to practice therapy started when I was a teenager and formed a powerful relationship with a therapist who listened and helped me through a very challenging time. I went to college and studied Psychology so that I could better understand myself and the people around me with the intention of becoming a therapist. From there, I earned my Masters degree in Social Work and began working in schools and residential treatment centers providing therapy for teens that were struggling with anxiety, depression, and other issues. The experiences that I had in therapy helped me to use patience, calmness, and gentle 'care-frontation' to help the teens that I worked with at the time. I decided to go back to school in 2015 to earn my Doctorate of Education and advance my learning so that I could continue helping people using the most up to date and researched methods. Since 2017 I have been in private practice helping individuals and couples improve their relationships through learning new ways to communicate, build trust, and connect. As a married adult and parent of two rambunctious boys I know firsthand the challenges of maintaining a close connection with a partner. I use that experience to help other couples in their journey to an improved relationship.