I am a mental health therapist with a background in counseling, who has a passion for psychology. I find it rewarding to work with diverse groups of clients and to work with them to understand a client’s motivating factors, including their values, ideals and goals, so that I can provide the best possible therapy services for them.

When someone has the courage to reach out for help and obtain therapy to improve their mental health, I believe that it not only helps them to work on the problems that brought them to therapy, but it can have positive ripple effect on their relationships, and change their life for the better overall. I think it is so important that the courage that the client has in asking for help be met with a warm reception and unconditional, positive regard by the therapist, who is willing to help and understand the client holistically before collaboratively working with them to develop a treatment plan. In the wellness wheel of counseling, the main parts include emotional/mental health, physical health, spiritual, social, financial/occupational health, intellectual and environmental needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that meeting the more basic level of needs (physiological, safety) is required before higher level of needs (self-esteem, selfactualization) can be worked on effectively. Therefore, I help clients identify ways they could feel safer and more secure in their life prior to working on higher level needs, and I have a list of resources that I can offer them to help them feel more stable in these areas (i.e., financial assistance, community group support and career counseling). Then, we move to focusing on higher-order needs, like how they function in relationships, at work and in other areas of life. In my past years as a counselor, I have seen many people commit to working on certain areas of wellness, and they end up increasing their overall sense of wellness.

In addition to a person-centered approach and identifying areas of wellness to improve upon, I think it is important to also utilize different treatment interventions, like cognitivebehavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), to help clients identify negative patterns and unhelpful ways of coping, so they can positively alter those patterns and choices. Also, identifying and implementing helpful ways of coping with difficulty, like managing feelings of anxiety, anger and sadness, can greatly improve one’s life. Some coping skills I have extensive experience in guiding clients through are deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, anger and stress management, selfregulation tools, and identifying enjoyable exercises and activities to incorporate in their daily life. Also, I have experience with helping clients identify their attachment style and ways they could create a more secure attachment style in their relationships.

Just remember, we are all a work in progress and no matter how dire your situation seems, there is often hope just around the corner!! Be it in a listening ear, supportive group, or assistance that could help you feel more safe and secure for a few days while you get back on your feet.

We are here for you to sit in the trenches with, until you feel heard, seen, and like you have an advocate who will help you each step of the way!