MY SPECIALTIES
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & OTHER MOOD CONCERNS
Everyone experiences overwhelm, worry, fear, a lack of motivation, and other mood variations throughout their lives, some more frequently or intensely than others. I would enjoy working with you to explore the onset of these symptoms and to practice different coping skills in order to identify the tools that work best for you!
SELF-ESTEEM & BODY IMAGE CONCERNS
The National Institute of Health (NIH) published a paper in 2019 that reported 1 in 3 adults in the Unites States felt shame and low self-esteem due to their body image within the year prior to the publication. Anecdotally, I have seen this shame show up amongst my clients time and time again. I approach these topics with sensitivity, compassion, and trauma-informed interventions.
RELATIONSHIP & COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
Do you have any romantic, familial, professional, or friendship-based relationships that are currently challenging you? Regardless of the issues your relationships may face, therapy can help you process hurt and identify next steps to either improve the relationships themselves, or improve your feelings surrounding them.
ADDICTION RECOVERY & SUPPORT
Are you concerned about how much you have been drinking alcohol or using another substance lately? Are you curious about what it would be like to stop using a substance that you currently rely on to cope with your day-to-day life? Together, we can explore these questions and others as you consider which habits are helpful and which may be causing further harm to your mental health and overall wellbeing.
PROCESSING & COPING WITH LIFE TRANSITIONS
Did you recently move to a new city? Begin or end a relationship or a job? Become a parent for the first time? Times of change and transition are often difficult and can be a great time to reach out for additional support.
SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN HELPING PROFESSIONS
As someone who spent many years in low-paying, underappreciated and often exploitative social work positions, I have a passion for supporting others in "helping roles". I provide empathy and compassion, and help you identify tools to reduce fatigue and burn-out so that you can continue to make a positive impact in your community. I have worked with public school teachers, nurses, EMTs, social workers & other mental health professionals, as well as military personnel. I aim to make my services accessible by accepting most insurance providers, and also offering sliding-scale pricing for those who are uninsured.
TRAUMA & GRIEF SPECIFIC TO LEGAL SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT
GENDER EXPLORATION & GENDER TRANSITION SUPPORT
I have been honored to work with clients who are exploring their relationships with gender, or who are transitioning or have already transitioned to their preferred gender identity. Gender exploration can be a sensitive, but also sacred time of self-reflection and discovery. I provide a safe and nurturing space in which you can test how different identities feel to you. I ensure that gender-affirming care is provided to all clients and I utilize the Standards of Care written by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to guide my practice. I am currently working towards becoming a WPATH certified provider.
TRAUMA
I am incredibly passionate about treating trauma and have seen true transformation occur within folks who have sought support in addressing past traumas. I will utilize a variety of tools to treat trauma, including some body-based, somatic approaches as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). I am also currently seeking certification in Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), which is regarded as one of the most effective, evidence-based approaches to treating trauma.
I began my social work career working as a mental health counselor in a large state prison that housed men and transgender women. I later worked for a diversion program that aimed to redirect individuals facing arrest, and instead connect them to social services and housing resources. Through these experiences, as well as others throughout my career, I have aided individuals in processing significant trauma relating to sexual assault and violence in jails and prisons, police and correctional officer violence, solitary confinement, and medical trauma while incarcerated. I have also been honored to work with parents, spouses, children, and other loved ones of those who are incarcerated. The ambiguous, complex grief and loss associated with incarceration can feel tremendous for everyone involved. I bring deep reverence and empathy to this work and find that due to my time working full time within carceral spaces, I have an ability to easily connect with those who have had these experiences.
GRIEF & LOSS
Have you recently experienced a significant loss? Grief can be associated with many different types of loss and facilitating a safe, nonjudgmental space to mourn is critical in your healing process. I utilize narrative therapy techniques for grief processing, and also guide clients through the four tasks of mourning: (1) Accepting the reality of loss, (2) Processing the pain of grief, (3) Adjusting to a new world, and (4) Finding an enduring connection to the past while also embarking on a new life. These tasks are not linear and we will work through them in whatever order and frequency they come up for you.