I decided to become a counselor because I knew from a young age that I wanted to help others. My passion and my decision to pursue this field came after taking a college psychology course during freshman year and instantly becoming fascinated with how people are amazingly complex and resilient. I decided I wanted to become a counselor due to my curiosity and interest to learn how to help others build their resiliency in the face of adverse experiences, and stressors. I felt like I found something that I was strong in and had a passion for as I worked through school and into graduate school. My experience in hospital, inpatient, and residential levels of care has only strengthened this passion and drive that I have for this field.

I feel that I work best with clients whom value the relationship and are willing to be challenged in their therapeutic journey. The therapeutic relationship is a large determinant of success in therapy, and I value working with clients whom are willing to be open and vulnerable in the process. I feel I work best with clients whom are also willing to give their own feedback if they are feeling are feeling frustrated, stuck, or nervous, as my job is to work WITH them and all that comes up in the process. I try my absolute best to be my authentic self, so I enjoy the comfortability of having casual conversations, sarcasm, chit-chatting, and talking about lighter topics, as well - I strive to be professional as well as personable to my clients.

I wish all clients knew that therapy sometimes feels awkward, uncomfortable, and/or frustrating. A large goal of therapy is to gain insight into their own feelings, thoughts, experiences, and impacts - unpacking these can be uncomfortable and distressing, but that is normal. I encourage clients to stay curious, lean into the discomfort, and trust themselves and the clinician, as avoidance will only maintain the dysfunction and distress from it.

I chose to practice at Thriveworks because of their focus on client care and creating a space for clinicians to focus on one thing: the therapy. I am excited about this chapter in my professional career, and I believe that Thriveworks can offer the space for me to utilize my experience with clients, as well as continue to grow. In my previous work settings, I worked with clients for a limited amount of time due to the level of care, often less than a month for stabilization, so I am looking forward to having more time with my clients while working at Thriveworks.

My clients (which probably sounds like a very stereotypical answer, but it's true). I'm continuously in awe and amazed by how vulnerable and resilient my clients can be. I'm inspired about how they learn to accept themselves and see real change from their own efforts and actions. I feel privileged and honored to be a part of that journey for them.

In the first session, clients can expect to walk through their goals, their concerns, and how they would like to work together with me to reach those goals. Other than therapeutic concerns, I genuinely enjoy getting to know my clients and who they are as people, so I may ask some other questions outside of therapy-specific questions.

I think it may be important for clients to know that I am direct in my approach when doing therapy. I primarily work from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills and often focus on acceptance and commitment (ACT) approaches, so that contributes to my style and thought processing when working towards goals. I value input from clients, as I do want to hear their feedback and their perspective on our work together so that I can adjust to help meet their goals.

I really enjoy going for walks and going to try new places to eat. I really enjoy food, so cooking and making new recipes feels like self-care and fun for me. One of my favorite things are concerts and sports! I'm a graduate from an SEC school, so watching college football is always a fun activity for me in the fall. I'm an animal lover, and playing with my dog makes me laugh all of the time. Comedy movies are some of my favorite ways to spend a relaxing time in - especially a Will Ferrell or Jim Carrey movie!

I think that one thing about me that defines me is my humor. I enjoy having fun, making jokes, and taking a lighter approach to things. I often am sarcastic with my friends and family, and love to find a reason to smile and laugh.