What should I expect in our first session?
We will delve into difficult topics with curiosity and care, exploring the factors influencing and reinforcing your mental health experiences. We’ll identify and assess the predominant challenges you are facing and collaborate in treatment planning. Throughout this, we will create space for the myriad emotions that can arise at the beginning of therapy. We might even laugh a bit together in the process.
How do you describe your therapeutic approach?
I believe the therapeutic alliance—the relationship between the client and therapist—is central to the therapy process, so I strive to prioritize that bond with my clients. With that foundation in place, I integrate evidence-based psychoeducation, skills development, and targeted therapeutic techniques to guide each client to gain insight into the factors driving their choices and behaviors.
What research areas are you interested in?
As a PhD student, I am particularly interested in the intersections of disordered eating and trauma, including complex trauma and its impact on how we relate to nourishment, our bodies, and our loved ones. As a counseling educator and supervisor, one of my primary interests is in multiculturally competent approaches to counseling and supervision, specifically within the LGBTQIA+ population.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I enjoy helping my clients connect with their inherent self-worth. I believe that all people are internally motivated to health and growth, and that counseling should address the barriers we experience to finding and using this motivation. By becoming present, embodied, and intentional, we allow ourselves to access more choices, in turn experiencing a heightened sense of agency and fulfillment. I seek to guide my clients in their unique journeys towards self-actualization.
What inspired you to get into counseling?
I have always been fascinated with understanding what drives people’s thoughts and actions. I followed this fascination down diverse avenues including sports and fitness, the corporate world, education, and ultimately the mental health field.