Living from Your Heart
As a mental health and addictions counselor, it is my honor to support you in clarifying your goals, deepening your understanding yourself, improving your relationships and feeling more connected. I am grateful daily for the privilege of supporting individuals and families in reconnecting with their capacity to heal themselves and feel more aligned with their heart.
Individual and Family Therapy and Parent Coaching
At times in our lives we can realize we are stuck in situations that are no longer supportive to us. We carry survival strategies from our family lineage and culture that influence us; we create our own coping mechanisms based on our experience of trauma; we are in constant interaction with our environment, our relationships, our history and our inner world. In healing and creating change in our lives, each of these factors come into play.
In individual therapy, we can explore how your own inner wisdom can lead you beneath the layers of developed patterns used to survive difficult experiences; through this process you will be able to reclaim your core self that continues to thrive.
I can help you find your way back to a sense of your own strength when you are struggling with issues like:
· Relationship and family problems
· Anger flare ups
· Anxiety and depression
· Family of origin tension
· Trauma
· Addiction and other “unhealthy” coping strategies
In family therapy, when the whole family works together to look at the big picture of how webs of interactions are weaved together, they discover the loving intentions behind one another’s behaviors. Through this process it becomes possible to find resolution, deeper connection and healing and leads to closer and stronger relationships. It is possible to improve your relationship with your family and influence their behavior even if they are unwilling to join in therapy. I work with families with young children through adulthood, when family issues that are unresolved resurface.
I can help in situations like:
· Feeling confused about what kind of help to offer a family member and how to do it without being pushed away.
· Having a hard time getting your children and adolescents to engage in therapy. They want privacy to work through issues and at the same time, they need the support and safety of their family.
· When it is hard for young adults to “launch” and they may be living with their parents longer than expected. This can be a challenging time to negotiate adult to adult relationship and feel respected.
· Dealing with a family member with addiction issues or coping strategies you feel are causing them harm; I can help you navigate ways to provide loving influence with positive boundaries.
· Feeling triggered by your partner, child or adolescent or family of origin and frustrated by your interactions with them.
Substance Abuse treatment
If you are not ready to make a radical transition or are “on the fence” about change; therapy can help you clarify your goals. I have specialized training in working with
substance abuse, as well as with family members of people who are using. I come from a harm reduction lens which is non-judgmental and helps you decide what is right for you. Community Reinforcement and Family Therapy (CRAFT) is a model that helps loved ones support a family member who struggles with addiction.
Trauma Release Exercise
I am a certified TRE provider and can assist you in working through stress and trauma through the body as well as through talk therapy. Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (or TRE®) is a series of exercises that assist the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. Created by Dr. David Berceli, PhD, TRE safely activates a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. When this muscular shaking/vibrating mechanism is activated in a safe and controlled environment, the body is encouraged to return back to a state of balance. Trauma Prevention
My Approach
I have worked with people from all walks of life and have deep appreciation for the unique experience we each bring to the session. I connect with folks of all ages and backgrounds. I have experience working with a multitude of issues including depression, anxiety, anger, panic, trauma, family of origin issues, parenting, family conflict, addictions, coping with a loved one with addictions, life transitions, and acting out behaviors in youth.
Services
Individual and Family Therapy, Parenting Support and Addictions Counseling
Some of the modalities I utilize are:
· Internal Family Systems (IFS) https://ifs-institute.com/
· Trauma Release Exercise (TRE) https://traumaprevention.com/
· Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral.com/
· Motivational Interviewing (MI or MET) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/motivational-interviewing.com/
· Functional Family Therapy (FFT) https://www.fftllc.com/
· Community Reinforcement and Family Therapy (CRAFT) https://drugfree.org/article/craft-approach-encouraging-healthy-constructive-positive-changes-family.com/
Education & Background
I have been working with individuals, children, adolescents and families since the early 1990’s. Throughout my career I have worked in domestic violence shelters, residential youth programs, juvenile justice, schools, homes, clinics, hospitals, research settings, private practice and on the streets as an outreach worker. I received my Bachelor’s in Psychology in 1994, Master’s in Social Work in 2000 and was licensed in 2004. My experience includes providing individual, family and group therapy for mental health, trauma, behavioral issues, and substance abuse.
Contact and Scheduling
To schedule an appointment, please call (503) 956-9396 or email [email protected].
You are welcome to write a review of my services on Google or Facebook.