“I value hope and improving the lives of others, and I believe in the potential wellness of the people who create our world.”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
I have always been most fascinated by how the human brain works and the elements that combine to result in each individual's perception of themselves and the world they live in. I started out as a musician, first learning about the nonverbal connection between beings that is harnessed through music. As a conductor, I marveled at the ability music had to unite diverse people and create a rich experience for themselves and others. Later, I became an art teacher and marveled at the powerful impact of the arts on behavioral issues and mood. I took joy in the way the arts bring together even the most challenged communities. I was always attuned to the students and artists, but I found myself increasingly holding the hands of those facing traumatic situations at home or being haunted by past experiences. The arts helped while they participated but when the music stopped, they returned to the same fears and distress for which they sought out the arts in the first place. Enter my focus on psychotherapy!
What should someone know about working with you?
Therapy with me is a collaborative process in which I am your coach as well as your therapist. The intake can take two sessions as we get to know each other. We will come up with a treatment plan together. My approach is trauma-focused (something happened that profoundly affected you) and combines EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), DBT, CBT, mindfulness, and existentialism-founded therapy in the person-centered relationship between therapist and client.
What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?
I find the constantly evolving field of mental health endlessly fascinating and necessary to the wellbeing of every person. I participate in all matters of self-education through in-person and online continuing education and certifications with the experts in the field of my areas of trauma, grief, mood disorders, addiction, and couples counseling. I consult with other members of the therapeutic and medical community for information and input. I constantly seek to hone the art of therapy for the transformation of each client.
How do your core values shape your approach to therapy?
I value hope and improving the lives of others, and I believe in the potential wellness of the people who create our world. I also believe positivity is contagious.
What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape?
I believe telehealth is a game-changer for many who value its convenience and accessibility. With improved internet capabilities and adaptations to traditional in-person treatment methods continually evolving, telehealth just may be mental health's latest evolution.
“I also believe positivity is contagious.”