Helping others was always a passion of mine and as I became older I was able to try more areas of social work. Once I accepted a position in mental health I found that it was an amazing specialty that felt like I belonged.

My focus is typically goal-oriented so clients that may have some ideas of things they want to change or even if they aren't sure what they want to change yet but know they want things to be different and try to develop the tools to get there.

Going through the intake process and discovering their concerns and goals is the most effective way I have of developing a treatment plan and helping decide what ways to approach specific areas of concern in an individualized way.

To open up as much or as little as they feel comfortable - some stressful subjects may need to be processed, but therapy, while sometimes uncomfortable, shouldn't be painful, and I won't push people to talk about things they aren't ready to.

At the end of the day it's not my job to judge anyone and everyone can benefit from help.

I'm a very stubborn person and often have difficulty with communication so I understand the importance of it when I discuss this in session with clients. I feel like we're all human and providers aren't better or more capable necessarily so I feel like accepting those flaws and continuing to grow from them is important.