“One thing I always share with my clients is that I am not the therapist I want to be but the therapist they need me to be; this is your journey, your space, and your healing.”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
My path to becoming a therapist was almost second nature. As a young child, I was always in tune with other people and fascinated by the lives of my parents and grandparents, how they thought, and why they responded in certain ways. I began my journey when I started teaching. I taught middle school right after undergrad and knew I wanted my purpose to be greater, so my first day as a teacher was also my first day in graduate school working toward who I am today. I spent three years working on my master’s. I finally finished and was able to transition into school counseling. I worked as a lead school counselor for two years while working in a mental health hospital, volunteering as a victim advocate, and working in private practice. I was able to transition solely to private practice in October 2020. I have consistently been someone people come to not only because I understand privacy and confidentiality when developing relationships but also because I have always provided a safe and nonjudgmental space.
What should someone know about working with you?
One thing I always share with my clients is that I am not the therapist I want to be but the therapist they need me to be; this is your journey, your space, and your healing. I am just here to help you co-regulate, process, increase awareness, and become the next best you. Since I have an eclectic approach, some sessions may include CBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, narrative therapies, or other techniques that help me to help you grow past your concerns. In some sessions, you may have homework and in others, you may just be asked to follow the treatment plan. I enjoy working with those who are struggling with setting boundaries, positive self-talk, breaking generational cycles, anxiety, depression, dating or premarital relationships, and transitions.
What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape?
There are a few things I am most excited about around the mental health landscape and they include access, awareness, and training. I am grateful that clients have more clinicians to choose from and they get to pick their provider; before, most clients would just go to a local agency and get whatever provider they were assigned. Access through telehealth is also wonderful. I am super happy about the increase in awareness for mental health so that people who have struggled in silence or have been minimized for their mental and emotional health now have the ability to share and advocate for others. Finally, I am thankful for the many training opportunities and increase in research.
“I am just here to help you co-regulate, process, increase awareness, and become the next best you.”