Specialties and Approach

How I Help: My Specialties and Areas of Expertise

Why Counseling?

Counseling can be many things for different people, whether someone is in crisis or seeking to improve their health, relationships, and life overall. Many people experience a “straw that breaks the camel's back” event, and after a long time (sometimes years) of dealing with pain and burdens on their own, they finally feel they can ask for help. More people are now realizing they don’t have to be at their breaking point to deserve support, and for them, counseling can be a powerful tool for personal growth. Others seek counseling as a preventive resource to take action before situations or their health worsens.

Specialties 

I aim to be knowledgeable and effective across many areas of concern because most of my clients aren’t experiencing just one thing. For example, I’ve found that many of my clients who have experienced abuse or trauma have difficulties setting boundaries or with substance use concerns. People are complicated, and as a therapist, I believe I have a responsibility to effectively support people who are managing complex concerns.

Most of my clients are dealing with things like:

• Trauma, PTSD/C-PTSD

• Abuse - intimate partner, childhood, family, workplace, religious 

• Relationship problems, including co-dependency and difficulty setting boundaries

• Substance use

• Depression 

• Anxiety 

• Suicide risk 

• Borderline personality disorder 

• Life transitions

• Stress

• Cult and high-control group survivors

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• ADHD

• Grief and loss

• Discrimination

• Systemic marginalization

Mental Health

I’m well-versed in working with people who are living with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, suicide risk, ADHD, and post-traumatic stress disorder. For many people, their life circumstances are obviously the cause of their mental health symptoms, and for others, there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer. I help people unweave the tangle of symptoms and factors that they’re experiencing and find a path forward out of their pain and current circumstances.

Religious Abuse

It’s now becoming more common for people to talk publicly about experiences of religious abuse, cults, high-control groups, and unhealthy faith communities. My bachelor's degree is in religion, and I specialize in working with people seeking freedom after years of silence and repression within their religious traditions. Having been a former minister myself, I offer an insider’s perspective on the unique challenges and struggles of current and former pastors, ministers, and faith leaders. I welcome people who were members and leaders of faith communities and are deconstructing (also called untangling) unhealthy aspects of their religion, actively seeking a more open and healthy way forward.

Substance Use

I specialize in working with people seeking recovery from substance use and also welcome clients who are active substance users. I take a non-moralistic approach to substance use. I firmly believe judgment and shame have no place in healing, growth, and recovery. Substance use disorders are challenging because people are actually fighting their biology. It can feel daunting when one’s own body seems to crave something that’s causing so much pain and destruction. No two people are the same, and the approach to recovering from problematic substance use must be individualized, even if there are many things that do seem to help a lot of people. I have years of experience working in substance use treatment programs and with people who are seeking recovery, and I am familiar with the best practices of substance use treatment. I take a harm-reduction approach to working with people who are in “active addiction” or who have problematic substance use but aren’t ready to stop using. I believe everyone deserves support that meets them where they’re at. I also welcome the opportunity to work with people who actively use substances recreationally, as not all substance users have a problematic relationship with substances.

Abusive Relationships

Abusive relationships take a particular toll on one’s health and well-being. I’m experienced in helping people who have experienced abuse within their families or in an intimate partnership find themselves and the life they want to live. There is more to abuse than physically aggressive behavior. Many- if not most- abusive relationships lack physical violence. Traditionally, most of the focus has been on “domestic violence,” where physical aggression and sexual assault take place. However, all relationships that eventually contain physical and sexual violence start with psychological/verbal abuse.

Many people from all kinds of backgrounds find themselves in a “frog in boiling water” type of relationship situation. This is when the small things are normalized but add up over time, and eventually, this creates a pathway to more controlling and violent forms of abuse. What makes things even more difficult is that the subtle signs and patterns of abuse are often much more challenging to detect and address. It’s vital that therapists are aware of these dynamics because, without that awareness, we can inadvertently make things worse. Counseling can help people heal from the impact of abuse and recover their personal freedom.

Toxic Workplaces

Is it just me, or do toxic workplaces seem to be becoming more and more common? There’s research that shows your boss has more of an impact on your health than your doctor. For many people, counseling is an external space to process difficult and confusing experiences, helping them figure out what to do and how to cope with the damaging impact of their workplace.

Diversity and Inclusivity

I enjoy working with clients from diverse backgrounds and strive to offer a safe, affirming space for the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, disabled and neurodiverse individuals, women, and other marginalized groups. The direct and systemic bias and oppression people experience can cause mental health concerns, and everyone’s situation is unique. Some people may need to focus time in therapy on concerns that are related to harm they experience because of their identity, while others need a safe space to work on other issues. Regardless of presenting concern, everyone who holds an identity that is marginalized deserves care that doesn’t retraumatize or further oppress them. 

Military and Veterans

As a military spouse myself, I am honored to work with active-duty service members, their families, and veterans. I welcome those seeking support from someone who “gets” the challenges that come with military service.

My Therapeutic Approach 

Relationship First

Research continues to show that the most crucial factor in effective therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client. What I know is not what is most important. What matters most is that my clients feel seen, heard, safe, and respected. As therapists, our professional ethics require this of us. Over the years I’ve been in the mental health field, I’ve found that one’s personal character makes the most significant impact on everything, especially the therapeutic relationship. I strive to be honest, transparent, and kind while holding healthy professional boundaries. Nothing is more important to me than creating a genuinely safe and supportive space for those I serve. Healing happens within healthy relationships.

What Works

I use interventions and therapy practices that research has shown to be helpful. In my work, I aim to balance the science of research-backed therapy techniques with the art of real human connection. I stay up to date on current research by reading peer-reviewed journal articles, engaging in ongoing training, and consulting with peers. I employ a mix of interventions drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused CBT, dialectical behavioral therapy, emotion-focused problem-solving therapy, somatic therapies, and motivational interviewing. 

I am proud to offer one of the top three most effective treatments for PTSD, according to the American Psychological Association, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD. This treatment protocol can be life-changing for people who have experienced trauma and are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Humanistic and existential theories inform my work; these foundational concepts shape how I relate to my clients, how I conceptualize mental health, and the deeper questions of meaning, purpose, and life itself. 

I aim to be trauma-informed and culturally responsive. I enjoy learning from experts inside and outside the mental health field, especially when it comes to how culture and the environment impact people’s health. Some of my heroes whose work informs my approach to therapy include Carl Rogers, Tricia Hersey, Robert Sapolsky, Carl Sagan, Paulo Freire, Nedra Glover Tawwab, and Jennifer Mullen.

Individualized Care

Because of my humanistic and person-centered approach, I work to draw out my clients' strengths and focus each session on their individual goals and needs. I believe no two people need the same approach, and there is no universal formula for creating positive change. As the hosts of Sawbones (one of my favorite podcasts) say, “cure-alls cure nothing.” 

Your path is your own. My job is to help you find your footing and support you on your unique journey.