What’s the most profound, insightful, or interesting thing you’ve learned as a mental health professional?
I see a lot of division and hatred in the world at large which is disheartening and scary to see, especially when I've met such incredible people in my line of work. They help remind me that when we take the time and effort to listen and try to understand each other that we have more in common as fellow humans than the world at large would have you believe. My experience has been that our struggle to be the best sibling, partner, friend, employee, and so on to each other is due to us just trying to get through our own trials and tribulations.
If you could pick one movie or book that influenced your approach to therapy, what would it be and why?
"Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng is a great example of how families try and fail to understand each other and what they're going through. The book really moved me when I read it because of how relatable yet tragic it was. One of my goals as a therapist is to help my clients see beyond themselves and their own perspectives to try to understand how and why their loved ones are doing or saying the things they are. We often make assumptions based off of our own way of seeing the world and this book is an excellent example of the dangers of doing so and why it is so important that we encourage genuine communication with each other.
What is your style/approach to therapy?
I strive to give my clients the confidence to move forward in their lives by helping them acknowledge their faults, set realistic goals to overcome them, and make adjustments as needed. Not everything we try will work because there isn't one easy cookie cutter way to approach therapy but we will continue to search for a solution that works best for the client at that point in their life. As humans, we are constantly adapting and changing to the world around us so what worked for us when we were younger may not work for us now.
Specialties
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.
College & graduate student issues
Issues arising from being in a new environment or away from home for the first time. College-aged kids have the highest rates of mental illness, suffering things like stress, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and substance abuse.
Life transitions
Positive and negative change can be difficult, including things like moving, breaking up, adjusting to parenthood, or changing careers. It’s normal to feel stressed, however, life transitions can inhibit people from living healthy lifestyles.
General Expertise
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.
Loss/Grief
Grief is a reaction to an emotionally significant loss and often comes with symptoms of depression or anxiety. These symptoms can remain intense and last for a long time after a loss, making it difficult to move forward with a healthy lifestyle.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder entails a distressful pattern of recurrent thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Obsessions are oftentimes unreasonable thoughts and fears that plague one’s mind to the point of compensatory behavior. This occurs despite logically recognizing the problem. The cycle is seemingly endless and instils feelings of hopelessness/helplessness. Severity of the condition varies but tends to begin gradually, becoming more intense under stress.
Spirituality & religion based issues
Spirituality and religion, to a great extent, shape our moral principles, beliefs, and values. They have a role in shaping our behavior and in our relationships. Issues may include questioning one’s faith, loss of faith, struggling to find meaning, and living a life incongruent with one’s belief.
Trauma
Trauma is the result of experiencing a perceived, extremely distressful event. Although the stress threshold for each person differs, meaning that each person considers and experiences trauma differently, it is an event that tops one’s threshold. It exceeds one’s ability to cope or emotionally process. Symptoms may include shock, anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, feeling disconnected, mood swings, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.
Fees
$100
First Session
$100
Individual Therapy
Types of Therapy
Individual Session
Clientele
Young Adults (18-24)
Adults (25-65)
Treatment Approaches / Modalities
Compassion-Focused Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Positive Psychology
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Training / Certifications
National Certified Counselor (NCC)
Licensure
WI, LPC-IT, 4600-226
Education
Masters, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Franciscan University of Stuebenville
Work History
After graduating in 2018 and with the help of my supervisor I opened my own private practice, Compassionate Heart Therapy. I love having the flexibility to work around my client's schedules and budgets so I'm not turning away people who want therapy but because of their work hours or income they can't afford it.
Location
925 Elm Grove Rd, Suite 303, Elm Grove, 53122, WI