PSYCHOTHERAPY
My clients come to me for many reasons, from life changes, managing general stress, to diagnoses such as depression or anxiety. I see clients across the age range, from preschool to adulthood. It is always best to contact me for a free consultation to find out if I can be a good fit for you. Please read below to learn more about my areas of speciality.
ANXIETY TREATMENT
Anxiety is a part of day-to-day life. But times it can reach a level where it holds us back from pursuing goals or simply living comfortably. I am able to work with clients who wish to find a way to decrease their daily anxiety and stress or who are suffering from significant anxiety disorders which impair their daily functioning.
Typical referrals include:
Generalized Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Panic Disorder
Social Phobia
Other Phobias
General Stress/Anxiety
My training and experience in treating anxiety is extensive and I am confident we can work to create obtainable goals to help you decrease your anxiety and to better enjoy life. My Cognitive Behavioral approach means that we will treat your symptoms in a structured manner and utilize techniques such as relaxation, exposure therapy, and mindfulness to help you understand and overcome your anxiety.
TRAUMA TREAMENT
Experiencing a significant traumatic event can leave a person feeling scared, vulnerable or shattered. It can be extremely difficult to imagine reaching out for therapy to talk about what happened. I believe it is my job to provide you with a safe, holding environment in which I will listen and meet you where you are in your journey. It is also my job to be your guide and to provide you with therapy that has been scientifically proven to help you recover and move forward after your trauma.
I use a variety of evidenced based approaches to address trauma, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing, and components of Narrative Therapy. What these treatments have in common is that all have been proven to be effective in helping an individual make meaning from their experiences and develop mastery over the many difficult emotions and symptoms that persist following the traumatic event.
I am passionate about helping children and adults recover from life stressors or traumas and strongly believe that good treatment provides hope, meaning and plans for moving forward.
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT TREATMENT
When I began working in the field of psychology, I specialized in the treatment of children and adolescents. Since then I have expanded to include adult treatment as well. However, I remain passionate about working with children and teens. I love to see the innocence and hope that children bring to therapy and the confidence that adolescents gain from having a place to share their feelings.
Typical referrals for children/adolescents include:
Social Concerns
Academic stress, family stress or life transitions.
ADHD or behavior problems
Anxiety
Depression
Learning Disorders
I also offer parenting support to help parents to tailor their parenting strategies to their child’s unique needs and style.
I believe that most times treating a child or adolescent is more effective if the family is actively participating in treatment. This may mean family members occasionally join in sessions or that all sessions include the entire family, depending on the nature of the problem. I am flexible in our definition of who should participate in a “family session,” as children today may have a wide range of caregivers in their daily lives.
THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
I tend to work from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework. This means that I will work with you to identify thoughts, behaviors and patterns that contribute to life stress or negative feelings in your life. Together we will create treatment goals and a plan to address these goals. I believe transparency is important in the therapeutic process and so you will be a included each step of the way.
I also work to implement evidence-based practices in my work. Evidence-based therapies are those that have been shown with repeated research trials to have effective outcomes. I am always happy to share with my clients the research behind my methods.
Some examples of the evidence-based practices I include in my work are:
Prolonged Exposure
Exposure with Response Prevention
Interoceptive Exposure
Interpersonal Therapy
Trauma-Focused CBT
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Positive Parenting Program
