“As a therapist, my aim is to help women of color who need assistance processing unresolved relationships from the past, who struggle with self-esteem, or who need a safe place to process daily life stressors. I work from an integrative approach to help you connect your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to early experiences.”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
I have had a natural inclination to be the soundboard for my family and friends since I was a child. I noticed that I enjoyed providing support to my loved ones and wanted to pursue training to provide support to my community. Since I graduated, I have sought out positions to work with people of color in often marginalized communities through child welfare, the criminal justice system, and private practice. All of the positions I have held have highlighted the need for safe spaces for people of color to process their mental health. After working with incarcerated women of color, I decided to pursue working with women of color as my area of specialty. The intersection of being a woman and of color is a unique experience. Often, for cultural and societal reasons, women of color don’t have time or space to focus on themselves for healing. As a woman of color, I understand this firsthand and, as a result, I strive to provide a healing space in my practice.
What should someone know about working with you?
As a therapist, my aim is to help women of color who need assistance processing unresolved relationships from the past, who struggle with self-esteem, or who need a safe place to process daily life stressors. I work from an integrative approach to help you connect your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to early experiences. I assign homework occasionally to assist with learning coping skills that are useful in getting through tough situations. I take this approach to empower clients to increase awareness of patterns in coping behaviors and interactions. My hope is to empower clients to find their own solutions, bolster their innate strengths, and find their unique voice.
How do your own core values shape your approach to therapy?
Social justice drives my work. I have spent my entire career working with clients of color and people from marginalized communities. Society has preconceived notions regarding people of color and that impacts them. I want to provide clients of color a safe space to be authentic and free from judgment and assumptions. I take special care not to reenact the negative social dynamics that can be present in the world. It’s important to me that my clients feel seen, heard, and supported, especially in the context of the world we live in today that often tries to silence people of color.
“I work from an integrative approach to help you connect your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to early experiences.”