A little bit about me. Despite my love for travel, I have always called the Pacific Northwest my home. After high school, I attended Eastern Washington University for a degree in English with a Creative Writing Option. My love for literature and writing introduced me to many philosophical and psychological concepts. That eventually led me to attend City University of Seattle where I got my Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My friends have said that I am the ultimate aficionado because I have such a wide array of interests and hobbies. I believe this has given me the ability to connect with people no matter how different we might seem at first glance.

 

My counseling philosophy is that your life is made up of subjective experiences. This belief means that I approach our work together from a non-judgmental place. The inspiration for change comes from recognizing that the patterns you have created for yourself no longer work to optimize your experience and hence breaking those patterns becomes necessary. There are many different theories on how to make long-lasting change, but you are a unique individual and so I believe you require a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. The theories that I like to employ are Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which is examining thoughts and behaviors to see how they interact, Narrative Therapy which is examining the stories of our lives and seeing if our perception of them may be changed to a more positive or accurate story, and Existential Therapy which is the examination of unanswered existential questions in our lives.

I start with strengthening the therapeutic alliance and spend the first couple of sessions getting to know each other and build trust. Building good rapport is the cornerstone of productive counseling. At the beginning of our work together, I think it important to set out goals for counseling and a mutual understanding of what our sessions will consist of. We will work together to identify which things in your life are working for you and which ones could use more attention. The next stage is examining the patterns that appear connected to your difficulties and examine how those patterns can be modified for a more ideal outcome. Modifying patterns can consist of examining your experiences that may have influenced these patterns, examining your thoughts and behaviors that led to these patterns, and/or setting incremental goals to break the patterns. As our sessions together continue, we will focus on compounding positive gains and maintaining healthy progress. I enjoy accompanying you on your journey as we travel towards your ideal self.

I remember all too well the difficulties of being a teenager. I believe it is these memories that have made me so adept at connecting with teenagers in their struggles to find themselves and who they want to be. During our sessions together, we will discuss the problems of teenage life, such as lack of autonomy, the uncertainty of self, peer pressure, and puberty. It is easy to feel alone during this phase of life, and my goal in your teen therapy is to be a supportive, non-judgemental adult outside your circle of family or friends that you can turn to for help and reassurance.