I decided to become a therapist because I wanted to give back to the community in a valuable way and make a difference in other's lives. I was also interested in helping to lower the cultural stigma of mental health conditions through de-mystifying treatment and making treatment more accessible.

I work well with individuals going through life transitions and open to self-reflection. It is also great when the Client is open to creative arts therapies. No background in art is necessary just an open attitude to trying new healing methods and coping skills.

I wish people knew that healing is often nonlinear but that doesn’t mean that the therapy is failing. For example you might feel better for three weeks ad then suddenly feel worse again after a trigger, a relationship conflict, or even a session. Sometimes symptoms can flare up right before a deeper change can happen because you’re finally confronting something instead of avoiding it. An important part of therapy is learning not to interpret every setback as proof that you’re “starting over.” When in reality you’re usually revisiting old material with more awareness, more language, and more capacity to process and feel than before.

The first few sessions are focused on building rapport and learning your personal history. The early stages of therapy could also include learning if you are open to any artd forms such as visual art or poetry. If you are not interested in creative expressive arts that is not a problem and we can continue to build our rapport through easy going conversation.

My practice is informed by both my varied clinical experience and my understanding of how trauma impacts people across the lifespan. Working with clients with a wide range of diagnoses has helped me meet each individual where they are at rather than reducing them to one label or symptom presentation. I value creating a therapeutic relationship with safety, collaboration, authenticity, and respect for the Client. My understanding of trauma has deepened my sensitivity to issues of trust, nervous system regulation and attachment theories and how it effects the therapeutic relationship.

I tailor therapy by starting with the understanding that no individual therapeutic approach works for each Client. I take time to understand each person’s unique history, strengths, cultural background, therapy goals, coping style, and readiness for change. I work to collaborate with the Client to develop a treatment plan approach that feels supportive and effective for their own individual needs within the therapy space.