Locations: Telehealth
Originally from the midwest, I moved to Seattle to complete a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Washington in 2013 with a concentration in mental health and a focus on children and adolescents. Prior to entering private practice, I spent over 15 years providing mental health therapy and psychiatric case management services in community-based mental health centers, schools, residential treatment facilities, psychiatric inpatient hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, crisis centers, and correctional facilities. I am experienced in providing individual, group, and family therapy to adults and adolescents as well as clinical supervision to bachelors level clinicians. I am also an approved supervisor for masters level mental health professionals pursuing licensure in Washington.
I view therapy as a partnership between client and therapist and approach issues from a behavior change perspective. I work with clients to identify areas that are causing distress, understand how they may be contributing to these problems, and identify changes they can actively make to yield the results they want to see. Because of the many positions I have held in the mental health field, I am able to pull from a variety of evidenced-based treatment modalities and easily adjust course in order to best meet a client’s needs. I have advanced training and experience in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy+ (CBT+) and draw from those modalities most often.
Particular areas of interest are: effective coping strategies, life transitions, boundary setting, self-advocacy, self-esteem, interpersonal effectiveness, conflict management and resolution, effects of substance use in relationships and supporting without enabling, healing from emotionally neglectful parents/caregivers, psychoeducation on mental health issues, parent coaching, navigating systems and accessing resources.
I primarily work with adults in individual therapy and couples seeking marriage/relationship therapy. I have limited availability for adolescents age 13+. I also provide family therapy on a limited basis and focus first on parent coaching before progressing to broader family therapy if appropriate.