Healing Starts Here

It takes a lot of courage to prioritize your mental health and reach out for help. Just by visiting this website, you've already taken an important first step toward healing and recovery.

 

What do you treat? 

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I am skilled in treating a variety of mental health concerns, but my main focus lies in therapy for: 
 

• Trauma and PTSD, including complex trauma or cPTSD
   

• Dissociative Disorders, including dissociative identity disorder and depersonalization/derealizaton disorder
   

• Anxiety, Panic, and Phobias
   

• Grief and loss
   

• Stress and life transitions.

 

I can also help with many other mental health concerns, including depression and bipolar disorder.

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No matter what brings you to therapy, treatment can help you: ​
 

• Manage your mental health symptoms and decrease your levels of distress

• Process and manage intense emotions  

• Cope effectively with the stressful situations in your life 

• Decrease feelings of shame and guilt 

• Promote long-term recovery and prevent relapse of your mental health symptoms 

• Overcome trauma and reduce your reactivity to triggers

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Are you trauma-informed? 

I am not just trauma-informed, I am trauma trained. 

 

I have specialized training and expertise in treating trauma disorders and PTSD, including those resulting from combat, rape, sexual assault, childhood abuse, violence, natural disasters, and other types of traumas. I am trained in the four most effective evidence-based treatments for PTSD:
 

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
   

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
   

• Prolonged Exposure (PE)
   

• Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) - Couples Therapy for PTSD

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How do I know if therapy is right for me? 

 

When it comes to your physical health, it’s pretty easy to know whether or not you need to see a doctor. If you catch a cold, there’s really no need to make an appointment; however, if you break your ankle, you need to immediately get to an emergency room. But when it comes to your mental and emotional health, things aren’t as black and white.

 

Here are some ways you can tell if therapy is right for you:

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• Anxiety. It’s common to feel anxious from time to time, but if you’ve noticed your anxiety levels have increased and are interfering with your ability to do normal activities like work, household chores, and sleep, it may benefit you to talk to a mental health professional. Learn more
   

• Trauma or Abuse. Trauma and abuse can leave lasting scars that, if left untreated, can negatively impact every aspect of your life, from your relationships to your ability to experience joy and happiness. Working through your traumatic experiences by speaking with an empathic and specially-trained therapist like me can help you to heal and take back your power. Learn more
   

• Grief. Grieving the loss of a loved one is one of the most painful and stressful life events we can experience. Though grief is a completely normal and natural part of life, some people want some extra support to work through their confusing and overwhelming emotions. Grief counseling provides a supportive, understanding, and nonjudgemental space for you process your grief in your own way and in your own time. Learn more

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• Stress and Difficult Life Transitions. Difficulties such as the loss of a job, a divorce, or loss of a loved one can make a once-peaceful life seem chaotic and unbearable. The emotions that go along with these challenging life transitions can be too much for many people to handle alone. Speaking with a therapist can be an effective way to work through your emotions and grief.
   

• Depression. We all feel down from time to time, but if you find you're having more bad days than good, it might be time to consider therapy. Depression isn't just about feeling sad, though sadness can play a big part. You might also find yourself losing interest in things you used to enjoy, sleeping more or less than usual, or having a lot of physical symptoms, like nausea, headaches, restlessness, and fatigue. If these are starting to interfere with your every day life, speaking with a therapist can help. 

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• Relationship Problems. If you find yourself unable to communicate with your spouse and are wondering if a divorce or breakup is the only answer, seeking couples counseling could help get the relationship back on track. Learn more

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Although it can feel frightening and overwhelming to take that first step and reach out to a therapist, learning to manage your emotions and behavior is an investment in yourself that can improve your quality of life in dramatic ways. If you are interested in exploring treatment, I would be happy to speak with you about how I may be able to help.

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What can I expect from therapy? 

 

Your first appointment is called an intake or a clinical assessment. We will discuss what brings you to therapy, and I'll gather a detailed history that will help me understand you better. We will work together to set goals for treatment and discuss which treatment options might work best for you. We will also discuss the frequency of therapy sessions. Weekly sessions are the most common. However, depending on your preferences and the type of treatment you choose, we may decide to meet twice a week. You may also have the option to choose a therapy intensive, where we meet more frequently over a shorter period of time. Most sessions are 50 minutes long, but some treatments may require longer sessions (usually 80 minutes). 

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My approach to therapy is affirming and nonjudgmental. Together, we will work to identify the thoughts and behaviors that are maintaining your symptoms and causing your distress. Your therapy sessions may look different depending on the modality we choose. Click the links below to learn more about some of the treatment types I offer:

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• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) - EMDR is a revolutionary and highly effective therapy used to treat a variety of concerns, including trauma/PTSD, anxiety, panic, phobias, grief, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Learn more
   

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) - CPT is a highly effective, short-term treatment for PTSD and trauma-related disorders that helps you to identify and challenge the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that keep you stuck. Learn more
   

• Prolonged Exposure (PE) - PE is a highly effective, short-term treatment for PTSD that helps you gradually and safely approach the trauma-related memories and triggers that you have been avoiding. Learn more
   

• CBCT (couples therapy for PTSD) - Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) is an effective, short-term therapy for couples where one or both partners has symptoms of PTSD. It aims to reduce PTSD symptoms and improve relationship functioning at the same time. CBCT can be done with a romantic partner, family member, or any other significant relationship where one or both of you have symptoms of PTSD. Learn more

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How long will I be in therapy?

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That depends on your individual needs, but many of the treatment modalities I use are designed to be short-term. For example, CPT for PTSD treatment is designed to be completed in 12 sessions. Some people will need a couple of additional sessions, and some will finish in as few as 10 sessions. CPT can also be completed in a two-week, 10-session intensive. Other modalities, like EMDR, do not have a prescribed timeframe, so the length of treatment varies from person to person. Still, EMDR is a highly effective treatment that is designed to get results faster than traditional psychotherapy, and it is not designed to keep you in therapy forever.

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Okay, I'm ready! What's my next step? 

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Amazing! Click the button below to contact me or schedule a free phone consult.