Clinical Background and Counseling Style
What I emphasize most in my practice is unconditional positive regard, or the assumption that people are always doing the best that they can. In a role that is constantly under scrutiny, it is my belief that mothers are in dire need of a safe space to be imperfect, heard, and supported. I therefore empower my clients to be in the driver’s seat, deciding the course of their treatment with gentle suggestions and guidance from myself. I enjoy receiving feedback and encourage my clients to communicate if something doesn’t resonate.
From there, I consider myself to be very integrative, holistic, and somewhat experiential. I utilize a whole-person approach to create a well-rounded sense of wellbeing. I enjoy creating space for emotional expression, challenging belief systems, and evaluating everyday routines that may make a big difference. I think that sometimes we can get so focused on the depths of our pain that we forget to also acknowledge the surface-level adjustments that can really amplify symptoms, like lack of sleep or drinking too much caffeine. With this in mind, I integrate coaching into my sessions, as is welcome by my clients.
Neuroplasticity is another main focus of mine, which includes increasing positive experiences as much as possible in order to “strengthen” that part of the brain. I will often suggest affirmations, lighthearted activities, gratitude, or anything else that resonates with you. I really enjoy the practice of finding genuine wellness as opposed to simply managing symptoms.
I believe that our society has obliterated our sense of wonder, connection, and lightheartedness. We are often told that life has to be full of hard work and grit, especially in parenthood. However, my practice is an active challenge and rebellion from this ideology. I often wonder what society would look like if more people empowered themselves to ask: what if we didn’t do that anymore? What if we simply gave ourselves permission to schedule laughter, connection, and passion into our lives? What would the world look like? What would parenthood look like?
My background includes several years of crisis stabilization, residential trauma treatment, and corrections, creating a very diverse clinical background and deep passion for complex cases.
