Please answer at least four of the below questions.
1. What makes you unique as a therapist and as a person? Feel free to share hobbies and interests a client may find relatable.
I enjoy singing, and outside my work as a therapist, I lead song circles and healing singing rituals. I will occasionally teach a song to a client when it feels like it would be a beneficial experience. Group singing is a way of co-regulating our nervous systems, so both the lyrics and the process of singing can be restorative. I have been singing in groups since Kindergarten, and I especially love helping people de-program from believing the belief that they can’t sing or have a “bad” voice.
2. What do you consider to be the goal of therapy? How do you help your clients achieve their goals?
I believe the goal of therapy is healing, transformation, and growth. I also understand that sometimes people need stabilization and capacity building before moving into deeper layers of work. I’m not a passive participant in the therapy process – I actively guide and direct the session towards the goals that we’ve collaboratively identified. I primarily use Internal Family Systems (a form of “parts” work) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDMR) to help clients heal from feelings and events that are “stuck” in their system. I’m extremely warm, supportive, and gentle. I feel honored when clients allow me to see their most vulnerable and hurt points and let me guide them through the healing process.
3. Describe the type of client and issues with which you work best.
I especially enjoy working with clients who struggle with anxiety – from mild to severe. I suffered from anxiety for approximately ten years until I discovered Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction, and now as a practitioner, I feel confident in helping others significantly reduce anxiety. I also enjoy working with clients who may have experienced emotional neglect, abuse, or other difficulties in their early relationships. I typically thrive when clients come with a lot to work with!
4. What is your background?
I began my career in counseling at age 17 at Planned Parenthood and worked in women’s health/reproductive/sexual health counseling for 12 years before transitioning into the psychotherapeutic type of counseling. I was a Gender and Women’s Studies major in undergrad, which enables me to pull from many schools of thought aside from traditional psychology. In my sessions, I often reference a wide range of theories, from feminist and queer studies, to black studies, sociology, and history. I don’t shy away from addressing the political sphere in session when my clients bring it into the room.