In my senior year of college, I had the opportunity to intern as a teacher of 5 classes of ninth grade English. Although I learned a lot from this experience, I believed I could make more of a difference in people's lives by working with them individually and in small groups. In 1972, I received a stipend from the SC Department of Mental Health to obtain a Master of social work degree from the University of SC. Since graduation, I have worked in the field of Mental health through Catawba Mental Health Center and the Rock Hill VA clinic.

I work best with clients who are experiencing anxiety, depression, or feeling overwhelmed by stress from life situations. I support clients in building a personalized set of coping tools, to manage work or family- related stress. We focus on cognitive reframing and behavioral strategies to reduce feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed.

I wish clients would treat themselves like their best friend, not their worst enemy. By challenging distorted self-talk, clients can change those thoughts into healthier alternatives. During the healing process clients can have setbacks, so they need to develop relapse prevention strategies.

As a warm and supportive therapist, I provide a safe place in therapy, where you can share your thoughts and feelings, openly. We work together to identify goals or changes you would like to make, to lead to better self-esteem and relationships.

My personal experiences in working with clients lead me to value openness and honesty in the relationship. I find it helpful for the client to identify goals and behaviors related to reducing avoidance and building self-esteem.

I tailor therapy to meet the client's needs by encouraging them to identify what they perceive as their challenges, how they are coping, and what changes they would like to make in their coping skills. I also help them identify any distorted thoughts and develop alternative thoughts that would be more helpful.