Trauma-informed therapy recognizes how past traumatic experiences impact your life and coping abilities. Whether it's from a single event, a series of events, or ongoing stress, I understand your trauma affects many aspects of your well-being. In our sessions, I will focus on a few key things: creating a sense of safety, building a trusting relationship through consistency and transparency, making individual choice and control a priority, working collaboratively with you, and empowering you by recognizing your inherent strengths. Through it all, I’ll support you with compassion, flexibility, and sensitivity.

All clients have incredible capacity for growth and change and are truly the experts in their own life. I believe in the power of supportive communication and strive to instill hope, maintaining a non-judgmental and optimistic approach to sessions. Together, we’ll identify and leverage your innate skills and resources. My hope is by highlighting what’s already working in your life, you will feel empowered, motivated, and confident, ultimately leading to long lasting change.

Did you know that research has consistently shown that the therapeutic alliance is one of the most important factors in how well therapy works? Our relationship matters to me, and it involves more than just a strong bond. While I strive to be warm, affirming and authentic in my practice, our relationship is also built on mutual respect, agreement on your goals, and consensus on treatment tasks. My hope is that you feel like you have a place to share your stories, confront your challenges, and explore your emotions without fear of judgement.

Emotions are at the heart of my therapeutic approach. That’s why each session starts with a check-in (hence the name for the practice)! This ensures session is aligned with your current emotional needs. Further, I believe that understanding and reshaping our emotional responses is essential for personal growth. Our emotions reflect our inner experiences (needs, desires, and concerns) and shape our interactions and connections with others. By focusing on your emotions in therapy, the hope is that you will be able to break free from negative cycles, heal past wounds, and build more fulfilling relationships.

I believe humor has a place in the therapy room. We laugh here! Whether it is sharing a funny anecdote, using humor to reframe challenges, or simply sharing a laugh together, humor can be a powerful tool in reaching your therapy goals. With a warm and lighthearted demeanor, clients feel more comfortable engaging in difficult conversations. Further, humor has the transformative power to ease tension and anxiety, enhance coping skills, encourage flexible thinking, create a sense of belonging, and foster authentic connection.

What I often hear from prospective clients is that they’re looking for a therapist will offer direct and honest guidance. If that resonates with you, then you’ve come to the right place. I have a directive approach to therapy, meaning I take an active role in guiding our sessions. When appropriate, I offer suggestions, teach specific skills to cope and regulate your emotions, and address inconsistencies or maladaptive thoughts and behaviors without hesitation. Throughout this process, I maintain a supportive and compassionate stance, recognizing that growth often involves confronting uncomfortable truths. Together, we’ll navigate these challenges and work towards the positive change you seek.