What is therapy?
There are many definitions that are used to describe therapy. The simplest explanation that I like to give is that therapy is a place in which you come, bringing your entire self, to work with a person trained to help you change your life. Therapy allows for you to talk, in a confidential (we can't tell your secrets), safe, environment to someone who has been trained to listen, challenge, support, and teach you. People seek therapy for a variety of reasons such as feelings of depression, anxiety, relational stress, trauma, grief, life stressors and more. No matter the original presenting problem it is my hope that the outcome of therapy is an improvement on your life.
What isn't therapy?
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Therapy is not an advice machine. While I wish therapists had all the answers, we do not. Therapy will not give you a yes or no answer to all your questions, but it should provide a space for you to explore and empower you to make your own healthy decisions.
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Therapy isn't a quick fix. The length of therapy varies by person, presenting problem, availability, commitment, and the list goes on. However, therapy can be short term or long term depending on your needs.
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Therapy isn't a friendship. It would feel very weird being in a friendship in which only one person shares about their life. Your therapist is objective and has no stake in the decisions you make which allows for more honesty because you don't have to worry about our feelings. Therapy is about you.
My Approach
My theoretical orientation (how I conceptualize clients and try to help) is a mix of cognitive behavioral therapy, person centered therapy, and emotion-focused. All of this means that I believe in developing a therapeutic relationship that centers understanding, openness, and warmth to facilitate change through changing thoughts, experiencing emotions, and changing behaviors. I am naturally a storyteller and believe in helping people to unfold their story to improve their lives. I believe in giving tools that you can implement at home. However, I am a strong believer that in addition to giving techniques, we have to understand what is at the core of our discomfort and problems.
I have worked in the field of counseling for over 10 years, treating a range of problems including depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief & loss with children, adolescents, and adults. In addition to generalized counseling training, I have completed specialized training in treating trauma and its related disorders. I am trained in providing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is an evidenced based treatment for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. In addition, I am trained in providing Prolonged Exposure therapy for adults who have experienced trauma. When treating children, I have a strong belief in the need to work within the family system to create long lasting change, meaning while your child is my primary client, I will be consistently working with you as the caregiver.
Above all, my approach is to meet you wherever you are and build a relationship that will facilitate change. It is important that we both feel as though we are a good fit for each other.
