​Approach to Therapy

You will find therapy with me to be solution–oriented and goal-driven. Incorporated in sessions is client driven feedback, assessment of goals, and evaluation of progress. 

Large goals are broken down into small, manageable pieces that can be implemented in
a “step-by-step” manner. Therapy may be teaching oriented, directive in building new
skills, and may involve assigning opportunities to practice/implement those skills.

One of the most important goals of therapy is the transfer of skills and insights learned to
the “real-world” environment. Often, maintenance or prevention oriented sessions will be
scheduled (for a shorter duration or at less frequency) once symptoms have significantly
subsided. 

Deciding on Therapy

Often people seek therapy to overcome unexpected or stressful life events and adjust to transitions. 

Adults

​As you tell your story in therapy, you are actually re-wiring your brain. Therapy is a tool that allows you to change how you see yourself and re-tell past stories that might be keeping you "stuck."  Often adults come to therapy to improve challenges they face in everyday life, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, ADHD, parenting, postpartum adjustment, loss/grief, and conflict in family relationships. 

Common complaints that often bring clients to therapy include:

• Depression, feeling sad, hopeless, irritable, and negative
  
• Anxiety, feelings of fear, worry, tension and nervousness
  
• Obsessive or unwanted thoughts 
• Difficulty managing anger and overreacting emotionally 
  
• Difficulty expressing anger or other emotions in a healthy, constructive way
• Attention and Impulse Control problems, including ADHD
  
• School or Work difficulties
  
• Trouble with friendships or relationships
• Adjustment to family changes, including separation or divorce
  
• Low self-esteem and poor self-concept
  
• Excessive shyness or discomfort in social situations
  
• Grief and loss
• Changes with sleep, eating and concentrating
  
• Unhealthy eating behaviors including restricting food, overeating or excessive guilt about food 
• Personal exploration of self
  
• Coping with past trauma
• Parent management of child's behavior or emotional needs

 ​

Adolescents​

​​I work with older children and adolescents who are comfortable navigating a virtual platform independently. 

One of the most critical components of therapy for the teenager involves feeling comfortable and maintaining privacy. Often developmental tasks involving exploring identity, asserting the self, and separating from the parent create stress and conflict for the teen and their family relationships. I work to promote healthy family functioning while prioritizing the teen's need for privacy. 

Typical skills targeted in therapy include

• behavioral coping and replacement strategies
• organizational skills
• relaxation and mindfulness skills
• cognitive coping and reframing- how to "think different"
• exposure to fearful situations
• problem solving
• building social emotional competence
  • understanding feelings and communicating
  • tolerating negative or intense emotions
  • handling conflict
  • self regulation
  • social skills and communication