Description
I support clients through life transitions and adjustments; gender/sexual orientation and identity experiences; emerging adulthood challenges; school/work stress; grief and loss; everyday stressors; family of origin issues; mood changes; culture and identity challenges; trauma; focus/structure and learning differences and more.
Our work together helps clients learn to develop healthy, growth-oriented, supportive relationships; develop effective communication; learn and implement appropriate self soothing techniques to manage stress; process and reduce the impact of trauma; explore personal identity and how to live authentically while managing people and systems that are oppressive and more. I also work with individuals who are just looking for space to process things without judgement, interruption or excessive feedback and interruptions.
We'll work to identify triggers and develop long-term coping skills to manage behavioral challenges and/or developmental disabilities including learning differences; distress related to emerging adulthood and its related transitions and adjustments; uncontrollable worrying; school and work stress such as perfectionism, feeling undeserving, inadequate, or overwhelmed; difficulty with concentration, structure and organization; mood changes including frequent crying and agitation; pattern of unsatisfactory relationships and history difficult family dynamics; and little interest or pleasure in doing things.
I use Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT), Person Centered Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help clients who have trouble handling strong emotions and whose thought patterns cause distress, low moods and undesired behaviors. ACT is mindfulness based and helps my client create a meaningful and rich life, while accepting the unavoidable hardships that inevitably come. DBT helps clients create healthy relationships — with respectful boundaries and trust; teaches coping skills for emotional pain and challenging situations; instills skills and strategies to manage and regulate intense emotions; improves positives emotions; and teaches skills to develop assertiveness and an ability to communicate your needs clearly and set healthy boundaries.
I have previously co-facilitated DBT groups and provided support to individuals who present with signs or symptoms associated with behavioral disorders and related developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Learning Differences.
My clients learn to assert their needs and to manage conflict in relationships; develop skills to improve structure, organization and focus; learn how to interpret and regulate these emotions and respond appropriately; improve communication; learn ways to accept and tolerate distress without worsening distress; and enhance or reduce emotions in order to respond effectively and achieve individual goals.
I work with individuals across racial, ethnic, gender, age, faith/spiritual, sexual orientation, cultural and professional backgrounds to process difficulties related to experiences and histories unique to their personal and collective identities. I serve the individual who needs someone who is directive and solution focused therapy and can hold space for his/her/their family dynamics, cultural complexity, development stage and needs.
I am a Clinical Mental Health Counseling trainee at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and I'm under the clinical supervision of Leslie Holley, LCPC, LPC and Barbara Adika, LCPC, LPC.
