Welcome! Congratulations on your courage to look within and give yourself the gift of therapy.
I work with individuals (age17+) and couples, who wish to enlist the help of a trained counselor to navigate difficult or challenging times in their lives.
I hold both a masters degree in Professional Counseling, and a doctorate in Behavioral Health. I am licensed in both Oregon (Licensed Professional Counselor) and Washington (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) and am certified substance abuse/chemical dependency counselor in both Oregon (CADC-II) and Washington (SUDP). I am trained in EMDR (level 2), The Flash Technique (advanced), and trained through Level 2 in Gottman Couples Therapy. I utilize IFS (Internal Family Systems), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), with a bit of Gestalt and Narrative theories. I complete between 40-70 training hours yearly, in various therapeutic techniques, theories, cultural competencies, and ethics.
I am passionate about psychology and the work I do as a therapist, counselor, and life coach. I enjoy what is required to help people who are experiencing feelings of sadness, confusion, low self-esteem, anxiety, or stress...those with relationship issues, communication challenges, parenting or life transitions, medical conditions, drug or alcohol issues...and/or with those who wish to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in ways that bring increased hope, peace, vitality, and effectiveness to their lives.
My thought is that therapy is both a science and an art. Education, research, and interventions, do impact outcomes. But there is another side to personal growth and change, too...the therapeutic relationship, trust, comfort, acceptance, and your interest in and commitment to yourself. I believe the source of therapeutic outcomes lie within the individual - the more you know about yourself and about what makes you tick, the more clarity you can gain regarding your personal power and of your ability to make the best decisions for yourself. The journey of personal exploration helps expose what isn't working for you (and often, why) but also exposes your strengths - often those strengths that have been lost, clouded, or forgotten. Validating your strengths can lead to a profound shift in empowerment and personal control. This changes your awareness around how you communicate, how you perceive a situation or comment, and can [re] ignite an interest or desire around what you truly want from self and others.
Often, I am able to hold the hope you have misplaced or lost.
I will help facilitate your journey to self-discovery, working with you to understand what is going on now, why that is, and then help you change (perspectives, perceptions, actions, behaviors, judgements, expectations, etc.) to support your goal. I use a collaborative approach to set goals with you, and utilize cognitive behavioral, trauma-informed, solution-focused, attachment-based therapeutic approaches as primary tools in the helping process. I believe the issues presented in session are wonderful opportunities for you to learn about yourself and move toward the changes you seek.
The change I refer to is in you - your thoughts, beliefs, choices, and actions. We can and will talk about others in relationship to you - I believe in the systemic approach that all things are connected - but the only place you really have leverage is in yourself. In our work, I will challenge you on your deeply-held beliefs around your expectations, fears you may not recognize, and self-defined limitations.
I believe we all have the potential for a rich, fulfilling life. We just need some help sometimes.
