“I have found that immense change can happen when we have the opportunity to process thoughts and experiences openly and without judgment.”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
In childhood, I recognized that helping others was my purpose in life. Since then, I’ve worked with kids with special needs, families in foster care, elderly members of the community, and in nursing homes. I found my way to community mental health and have been working with adults with various mental health needs for the past several years. Here, I have found that immense change can happen when we have the opportunity to process thoughts and experiences openly and without judgment. Being able to provide a safe, compassionate space for my clients and watching them move forward and find healing has been a great honor in my life. I look forward to any opportunity to practice and grow as a therapist.
What should someone know about working with you?
I believe that the brain is an incredible and powerful thing, helping to keep us alive and safe in ways that we often don’t understand. Our automatic thoughts and behaviors that develop from this can stop serving us and even begin to hurt us or keep us from moving forward. I believe that, through insight development, compassion, and acceptance, we can learn to work with the brain, allowing us to operate in ways that are more supportive and authentic to our true self.
What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?
I find continued education critical in order to provide my clients with the support they deserve. I participate in peer supervision with other therapists, attend conferences and trainings, and read as much as possible to stay up-to-date and informed.
How do your own core values shape your approach to therapy?
My core values are to see the inherent dignity and worth of every individual and offer compassion. I believe that humor and fun must be a part of the work to keep us motivated and that the relationship between therapist and client is the most important aspect of therapy. I value creating a safe space, non-judgment, compassion, and active listening to help my clients feel comfortable and heard.
“Being able to provide a safe, compassionate space for my clients and watching them move forward and find healing has been a great honor in my life.”