“I know when to be serious and when it's okay to have a laugh!”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
I've always been told that I'm nosy. I attribute this trait to my grandmother who taught me at a young age that you don't know unless you ask! I've always been genuinely interested in other people's journeys and experiences. When I ask questions, I truly want to know the answer and I'm interested! My first career choice was as a head teacher at a nonprofit daycare. I quickly learned that this was not what I wanted to do as a career path. I didn't know what I wanted to do exactly, but I knew it had to involve some sort of social work and helping others. I'm not sure exactly when I realized I wanted to be a therapist but in retrospect, the signs have been there all along. I was certified in different types of trauma work early in my career and I have brought that knowledge into my practice. I enjoy exploring how past experiences shape who we are today.
What should someone know about working with you?
I know when to be serious and when it's okay to have a laugh! If you work with me, expect to laugh during sessions. You can expect me to partner with you to create a safe and genuine therapeutic relationship, set goals, and work toward meeting those goals. I will challenge you when you need to be challenged and celebrate the smallest of victories with you.
What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?
As a provider, I am always learning and looking for new ways to educate myself. I have recently become interested in learning more about unintentional bias in women's healthcare and have attended several seminars on this topic! I also believe in always going back to basics; at times, I will take a refresher course in some fundamentals of mental health treatment. This has an immense benefit for my practice, as it reminds me of why I started practicing in the first place.
What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape?
The mental health landscape is changing every day. The trend toward understanding the connection between traumatic stress and overall functioning is exciting to me, as I have seen this in my practice for many years! The medical model of health is becoming old news, and the wellness, whole person, integrative model of health is the trending topic. I couldn't be more excited! Treating mental health the same as physical health in the healthcare system will lead us to a community of healthier individuals.
“I will challenge you when you need to be challenged and celebrate the smallest of victories with you.”