Areas of Expertise
Teens and Young Adults
I have worked with teens in different settings for over a decade, and I wrote my Masters Project on young adult relationships. My down-to-earth and approachable style works well with teenagers (and their parents!), including those who aren't too thrilled with the idea of going in and talking to someone about their problems. Being a teenager is hard! Having a non-judgmental sounding board, and a space to learn how to identify and verbalize complicated emotions can be so useful, for almost any teen.
I also do family sessions, including families navigating new relationships with their parents as young adults; and provide parenting support to parents of teens.
Trauma
I have extensive experience working with trauma at all levels, from every day disappointments and rejections, to domestic violence, childhood abuse and neglect, and sexual assault. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, to help you change how your brain stores traumatic memories. EMDR has been shown to have better results in less time than many forms of talk therapy, and is an Evidence Based Practice for PTSD (click here for more info).
Depression and Anxiety
The tricky thing about depression and anxiety is that the things they tell your brain to do ("Isolate! Don't talk to people! No one will understand, and even if they do, they won't care!") are the very things that make it difficult to get help. I respect your desire to fight back against these messages, and I hope that you will find my compassionate and solution-oriented approach helpful.
My Approach
Let's be honest -- there are a lot of therapists you can choose from, and it can be hard to tell from a website, "What makes this person different from anyone else?" Here is a little bit about who I am and who I'm not.
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My goal is NOT for you to be in therapy with me three times a week for the next ten years of your life. I'm trying to work myself out of a job! I want our time together to be as meaningful and productive as possible, as soon as possible. That's part of why I specialize in brief and solution focused therapies such as EMDR and CBT/DBT. In working with me, we will immediately start working on those things that are making life feel unmanageable for you.
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I will be honest with you. To me, honesty is part of respect, and I want to build a trusting and respectful relationship with you. That means I will be compassionate and genuine, and it also means that I may, at times, say things that are hard to hear. That's part of the work of therapy.
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I have a sense of humor! Coming into therapy, talking with someone about all those things you usually try to bury, and looking at the parts of yourself that you want to change is hard work! Being able to laugh here and there makes that hard work feel a little more bearable.
