“In the therapeutic journey with me, clients can expect a safe space that fosters transparency, supports unfiltered expressions of one's feelings, and offers guidance to explore challenging and painful experiences.”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
My journey to becoming a therapist represents part of my evolution as a licensed clinical social worker. I have worked in different settings with diverse client populations. I have worked in the child welfare system, community mental health centers, early intervention, and in a hospital setting. In all the settings, I found the mental health needs of individuals to be an undervalued part of the human experience. My years of experience have broadened my knowledge and created an expertise in supporting the "unsaid" experiences of a person's life. I am currently enrolled in a two-year trauma certification program, which has added immense value to how I work with clients in my practice.
What should someone know about working with you?
In the therapeutic journey with me, clients can expect a safe space that fosters transparency, supports unfiltered expressions of one's feelings, and offers guidance to explore challenging and painful experiences. I assign homework to keep the therapeutic process alive in between sessions. The therapeutic assignments also provide additional insight for both the client and myself. In my practice. I work primarily with adults, couples, individuals, and families. In the first few sessions, I work with clients to identify goals for treatment. The identified goals create markers for progress that I reference with the client throughout treatment.
What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?
"You never stop learning" is a motto I believe to be a valuable attribute of a mental health practitioner. This led me to enroll in a trauma certification program to expand my knowledge base, increase understanding, and better meet the needs of my clients. More than half of my clients have unresolved trauma histories.
What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape?
I am most excited about the introduction of telehealth services as a way to provide mental health treatment. I am excited to be a part of this innovative change and recognize the impact it is having on society at large. Utilizing telehealth services allows people who struggle with mental health stigmas to safely and securely access services. Telehealth also reduces barriers, such as time and transportation constraints.
“More than half of my clients have unresolved trauma histories.”