MY SPECIALTIES
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
In our individual therapy sessions, we will identify your strengths, explore the areas of your life you want to improve and the wounds you are looking to heal. We will work together as partners in healing with the goal of co-creating a satisfying and fulfilling life. I will help you develop the tools you need to navigate your emotional triggers and overcome life's challenges. We will build coping skills, explore possibilities, and celebrate your success. By using a holistic approach in our sessions , we will focus on your whole being – mind, body, and spirit. We will discover how your thoughts, emotions, habits, lifestyle, health, and wellness practices directly impact your life.
TRAUMA, PTSD, AND C-PTSD
Trauma can manifest itself in a variety of ways and may emerge from different experiences, whether it’s sexual abuse and/or exploitation, a car accident, physical or emotional abuse or neglect, the sudden death of a loved one, a violent criminal act, the violence of war, or a natural disaster. You may have experienced one traumatic event or had a series of events that continue to impact your life long after the event has passed. You may be having intrusive memories, flashbacks, or sleep disturbance. All these things are normal responses to trauma. The foundation of my therapeutic framework is trauma-informed care. This means meeting you right where you are and moving at your pace through identifying and resolving both direct and vicarious trauma. I know that trauma affects us all, including those in the healing professions and frontline workers who experience compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma in the line of their careers. I am here for you!
GRIEF AND LOSS
Throughout the course of our lives, we all experience loss. Feelings of grief and loss are often associated with death, but may also surface after a loss of another kind. Grief may enter your life as the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a pregnancy, a pet, or a job. You may be feeling ecological grief as so many are during these times, or struggling with the Covid pandemic and the myriad losses of life and lifestyle.
I know that you may be experiencing a storm of feelings all at the same time, or feel buried by a single painful emotion. Healing from grief is not a straight line and everyone copes with it differently. I will join you in your grief process and help you navigate your way to the other side.
WALK & TALK / ECOPSYCHOLOGY
Walk & Talk therapy is a form of ecopsychology that incorporates therapeutic interactions with walking in nature. Ecopsychology, interacting mindfully with the natural world, promotes calm, groundedness, embodied connection, and motivation towards healing. In these challenging times, meeting for a Walk & Talk session is a safe way to connect in person. Ecotherapy is a therapeutic tool to invigorate your physical body while exploring your mental landscape in a way that can improve nervous system function and emotional regulation. Having regular access to the outdoors lifts the mood, decreases feelings of isolation, and improves self-awareness and consciousness.
DEATH AND DYING
Have you been diagnosed with a terminal illness? Are you or a loved one facing end-of-life decisions? Are you grappling with how to support someone who has been given a terminal diagnosis? Let me help. I will support you as you move through your anxiety and fears, and learn to accept and embrace end-of-life. I use a person-centered approach to death and dying that focuses on the significance of spirituality and meaning making as important resources for coping with emotional and existential suffering as you near death. My hope is that you will be able to actively and positively participate in the process of dying, including planning how you would like to have your end of life celebration and who you want involved in decision-making.
PSYCHOSIS
Do you or a loved one suffer from a severe mental illness? Do you hear or see things that other people don't hear or see? Are you or a loved one trying to navigate the confusing world of first break psychosis? Do you need someone to provide support and education, to collaborate with your psychiatrist, and to support you in times of crisis and/or in times of stability? I believe that people are people, regardless of a diagnosis, and I will support you in becoming the happiest, healthiest, best version of you possible. If you are a person with a severe mental health diagnosis or a family member struggling with a loved one's first break, behaviors, or other severe mental health challenges, I am here to support and educate you. I have more than a decade of experience working in county mental health systems and in crisis mental health services with clients from all walks of life as well as their family members.
ADDICTION
Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing problem in which a person his using a substance a behavior (sex, gambling, food, etc) in a way that gives instant gratification but is causing their life to become unmanageable. Addiction affects every aspect of our lives: our bodies, minds, relationships, and our sense of spirituality. I work with individuals with addictions as well as families who have a loved one struggling with addictions. An addiction of any sort can be exhausting and you should never go through the recovery process alone. Building connection and community is key to sustained recovery.
MINDFULNESS
We are so often disconnected from our bodies and emotions, rushing through each day from one thing to another, that we don't allow ourselves the time to notice the world around us. Utilizing mindfulness practice helps us build new neural pathways in our brains, and has been proven to help with anxiety, depression, trauma, symptoms of psychosis, chronic pain, and emotion regulation. In our sessions, I will help you reconnect to your breath and your body. We will calm your mind and help you be in the present moment by using mindfulness practice. You will develop a set of tools that you can use anytime and anywhere to help you reconnect with a feeling of safety, expansiveness and relaxation.
HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK
Holotropic Breathwork was developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof as a means of accessing expanded states of consciousness and connecting with our inner healing intelligence. This method involves utilizing deeper, faster breathing combined with evocative music in a setting with trained facilitators to support you on your journey. There is a somatic component as well as expressive arts work to begin facilitation of your integration. No two sessions are the same, and participants are able to metabolize deep issues they may not be able to access in traditional talk therapy. Traditionally, I offer this work in a daylong or weekend workshop. Due to Covid, I have temporarily postponed all workshops and retreats. I do offer individual Holotropic Breathwork sessions, following strict safety guidelines.
CRISIS
In life, we all experience periods of crisis and overwhelm. Sometimes these difficult times can feel like too much. In these moments, we may be overwhelmed, wish for an escape, or feel numb. Know that you are not alone and that I can help you hold this burden. With compassion and honesty I will help you process and heal. I am here to support you through these tumultuous times and help you find a landing spot that feels safe and secure.
