My Approach

As a Registered Nurse, I approach mental health problems largely from a medical perspective. Recognizing the presence of mental illnesses and understanding the disease process associated with a diagnosis is important to the successful treatment and resolution of symptoms. Providing my client's with an accurate provisional diagnosis based on the DSM5 is an integral part of developing a treatment plan that focuses on the client's goals for counseling.

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Providing trauma informed care is a core value of my practice as a mental health counselor. Being trauma informed recognizes the impact your life experiences have on how you interpret the world around you. I have learned over many years of working with people who struggle with mental health problems and who have had a history of trauma that many of their "problematic behaviors" are adaptive coping strategies. By addressing the effects trauma has had on you, we can often address the root causes of symptoms of mental illness.

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The development of an effective therapeutic relationship is the single most important predictor of success in counseling. This is my primary focus as we work together to help you accomplish your goals in counseling. I have extensive experience and training using techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, solution focused brief therapy and polyvagal theory. I will work to understand your needs and goals, then develop a treatment plan that will help you optimize your chances of success.

 

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