About Therapy
Therapy is about you. It is about change and acceptance and learning to balance the two. It’s quite possibly the hardest and best thing you will ever do. My job is to guide you through your journey, without judgement, from where you are now to living the life you want to live.
You are the expert of you. I am here to help you find even more clarity of your true self. I practice from the assumption that you are doing the best you can, and can also do better. And to facilitate that I create a safe, welcoming environment for you to work on the goals we set together.
One possible goal could be to learn new skills to communicate more effectively with your partner in order to reduce conflict. In one session we would work on teaching you a few skills and then practicing how to use them. The following session we would determine how it went for you and if anything got in the way of the desired outcome. Our emotions are commonly one of those things that can get in the way of being skillful. So this session might include working on techniques to help you manage those emotions and stop them from controlling you.
The focus of any session is whatever the priority is for your life at that time. Goals for the session can change depending on what is most important to you and what will better serve your overall growth and progress.
People start or return to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Often the catalyst is a significant life transition. Maybe relationships are suffering, personal issues are becoming too much to take, or a particular challenge or situation has arisen. However, some come before crisis hits. They know themselves well enough to know something needs to change and come to gain insight and work to change in order to prevent crisis.
Regardless of the trigger, each person seeking therapy is in pain: pain ranging from mild pangs of discomfort to chronic, intense despair. People seek therapy hoping for a solution, for relief. And that is exactly what I have to offer.
Like with most things that are good for us, the hardest part is taking that first step. And it takes some time to build momentum in a positive direction. That’s why making the call is the most difficult, yet crucial, part.
But once you take that step it’s on! I am here to add some momentum, give direction, and provide accountability to your journey. If these changes were easy to make or the necessary insights were easy to gain on your own, you would have done it already. Let me offer my energy and expertise to help you meet your goals of creating a satisfying and intentional life.
A Little About Me
When I started out as a teen looking into what I wanted to be when I grew up, I just knew I wanted my job to be something I looked forward to everyday. I didn’t want to be one of those adults hating half of their waking moments in life. So I embarked on my journey and I found just that.
I started out with a Psychology major and by the time I was a junior and was working on the psychiatric unit of the local hospital it clicked that I wanted to do counseling. And I never looked back, and never wanted to. I have the best job ever! I absolutely love watching people grow on their journey towards health and happiness.
My approach to counseling is direct but compassionate. My goal for every client is to help them envision a life worth living and achieve it happily and effectively.
I graduated from Central Michigan University with my Masters Degree in Professional Counseling in 2006. I have worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, county jail, community mental health center, and private practice. I have been trained by the Beck Institute in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and by BTech, LLC in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. I also have been trained in prolonged exposure therapy which has allowed me to be very successful in treating PTSD. I have extensive experience treating a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, grief and loss, stress, relationship issues, suicidal ideation, and adjustment issues.
When I’m not working I can usually be found with my family. We very much enjoy the outdoors and take advantage of emmersing ourselves in its beauty as often as we can. And on the rainy days I enjoy trying to be crafty, reading, or an occasional Netflix binge.
