Our Approach
You’re likely here because you want to get a sense of who I am, how I work, and most importantly, to see if partnering with me will help you move towards a happier, more fulfilling life. You’re about to decide whether to spend your time, energy, and money on someone you’re trusting with your deepest vulnerabilities and struggles, and I do not take that lightly! I hope the information below can give you confidence in my expertise and experience, as well as my commitment to compassion, understanding, and insight that leads to change.
First, you likely want to know if I have enough knowledge and experience in the issues you struggle with. I’m grateful and proud to have spent the majority of the last decade fueling my energy into deep study and training of human behavior and emotions. Specifically, I have dedicated my career to gaining expertise in OCD and anxiety disorders (phobias, panic, social anxiety disorder, etc.), Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (skin picking disorder, hair pulling disorder, nail biting disorder, and others), as well as ADHD. I’ve been lucky enough to study under some of the country’s leading experts in these areas, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the deep training I’ve acquired as a result. I’ve taken this learning and have spent years developing a unique blend of skills and strategies, tailored to address not just symptoms, but the core of what’s keeping you stuck.
Individualized treatment with you in mind:
I believe that treatment should be as unique as the individual in front of me, so in this regard, I consider you the expert of your own personal experience. Therefore, I give high priority to acquiring a deep understanding of your individual symptoms, history, and goals. Intertwined throughout this process is my firm devotion to honoring the therapeutic relationship between you and I: I am keenly aware of study after study showing that without a trusting partnership between counselor and client, even the most advanced interventions will fall flat. This is why the human-to-human connection between you and I is placed at such a high value in our sessions. My sweet spot as a therapist is knowing that lasting change happens at the intersection where a safe therapeutic relationship meets evidence based interventions and individualized treatment plans. In short, safety and connection + knowledge and tools = change.
My training on OCD and related disorders was honed when I worked with one of the nation’s leading OCD organizations, gaining expertise in the most evidence-based treatments we have for this disorder. The same goes for BFRB’s and ADHD: I have received advanced training and continue to attend annual conferences on the latest research and strategies for understanding and treating these issues effectively and compassionately. I adhere to gold-standard, evidence based practices, such as Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Comprehensive Behavior Models, and I consult with experts to add to my knowledge, and to keep me humble (there is always more to learn!) I love combining understanding with practicality: let’s understand why you think/feel/act in certain ways, and then let’s give you real world tools to turn that knowledge into value-aligned action.
Flexibility:
Despite my use of first-line treatments for the disorders I treat, I am a firm believer that flexibility is key, which is why I carefully curate treatment plans to each individual. You are coming to me as a unique, multifaceted, holistic human being - this means you can't fit into a manualized one-size-fits-all treatment formula. Rather, when I see you, I carefully consider your one-of-a-kind genetic makeup, attachment style, trauma history, upbringing, personality, socio-political-economic status, and current situational influences. In short, I am deeply committed to treating you holistically. You are so much more than a diagnosis, and treating you as such would fail to consider the complexities of the wonderful human you are. This is why you might find me intertwining trauma-informed approaches, attachment theory, internal family systems interventions (parts work), cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, or psychodynamic work. In collaboration with you, we’ll discuss what kind of approach is needed: you may benefit from a more structured approach, or you may appreciate the flexibility to incorporate a multifaceted one - we’ll figure it out together.
Many ask me, “is it okay if we talk about things other than [insert primary problem here]”. I’m always surprised by this question, because the answer is always, always, always an enthusiastic “YES!!” Again, you are way too beautifully complex to be dialed down to a diagnosis. Whether it’s a “crisis of the week”, a sudden stressor, or another longstanding issue, ALL of you is welcome here. I am firmly committed to an environment that supports inclusivity and respect of all people regardless of race, color, culture, religion, spiritual practice, sex, age, socioeconomic status, perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, relationship status or configuration, national origin or physical and mental abilities.
My lived experience: I’m human, too!:
Perhaps one of the biggest tools in my toolbox is my own lived experience with the disorders I specialize in. Your therapy is never about me, but my clients do appreciate simply knowing that I have a personal history with (and recovery from) OCD, BFRB’s, and ADHD.
I believe my own personal experience adds to my value as a therapist, because it fosters so much empathy for what you’re going through. I have spent many years in the mental prison of OCD, have navigated the shame of various BFRB’s, and have walked through a large majority of my life with undiagnosed, untreated ADHD. As such, I have received the very treatment that I now give to my own clients, so I not only know what it’s like to go through it, I also know that it works!
Other questions or curiosities? A free consultation chat is the best step you can take to get a feel for whether we might be a good fit. I will always be honest if I think another provider would be best for you, and I’ll even assist in helping you with that search. Give me a call/text, or shoot me an email to take the next step.