My Approach to Helping
As a licensed clinical social worker, my education and professional discipline are all about improving the fit between a person and the world around them. Are you experiencing anxiety, out-of-the-blue sadness, or irritability? Are your feelings too tied up in how work is going? Are you stuck on certain thoughts? Is it possible that through trying to get by and survive, you’ve come to ignore yourself?
I often work with ambitious and creative people in my practice. As somebody who has a background in the arts, I'm intimately familiar with the unique challenges these individuals encounter. People labor over complex projects while pursuing their big dreams. While this pursuit may give a sense of purpose, the gap between a person's hopes and their reality can be discouraging. Many individuals start encountering issues like a fear of failure, imposter syndrome, and relentless existential questions.
I also have extensive experience treating trauma. Do you find your present reality constantly shaped by things that happened in the past? I give space to explore these events and how they changed you. Through our sessions, we will sew up old wounds and work toward using these painful moments as stepping stones on the life you want to live.
Therapy is a collaborative process. Everybody is different, and there is no “one size fits all” treatment. I am certified in cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and cognitive processing therapy, with years of experience using several other approaches. I tailor your therapy to your needs. You are not your work. You are not what happened to you. Together, we will use therapy to find peace and fulfillment.
More Info About My Practice
My practice is completely online, which means I work with clients living anywhere in California! I use a HIPAA-compliant video platform that works great.
My Role as a Therapist
As a therapist, my number one job is to help get you to where you want to be. This looks different for everyone. For example, do you want stop having so many negative thoughts about yourself? Great, let's talk about it. Feel like your communication skills need work? I've got a lot of ways we can work on that. Feel like past painful experiences continue to haunt you? I'm ready to listen.
The clinical jargon to describe how I see my role is to say that I'm client-centered and strengths-based. In my experience, people often underestimate their own resilience and resources. I will help identify and nourish your strengths. While I'm very supportive, I also present other ideas to promote personal growth toward your goals.
The long and the short of it-- I'm here to support your journey. Let's work toward the life you want.
Had a Negative Therapy Experience?
Oof. Few things feel worse than settling on a therapist, opening up your heart, and then having a hurtful, disrespectful, andor invalidating experience. Maybe the therapist was unprofessional. Maybe you felt they had a different agenda. Or, maybe things just didn't work out the way you wanted.
I know how discouraging a bad experience with a therapist can be. Let's talk about what went wrong so I can make sure our therapeutic relationship is a safe space to reflect, explore, and create change.
Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist
Making the decision to reach out and seek professional help is already tough enough. Then once somebody jumps on a directory such as GoodTherapy, they are greeted with a huge list of different mental health providers, all advertising their niche in some way. The whole process can feel overwhelming.
In my experience, it's important to try and find someone you think you might be able to connect with. Studies show that one of the BIGGEST predictors of success in therapy is the relationship between the client and their clinician. You should also make sure the provider has experience treating your particular issue. Many therapists focus on a particular specialty and may not know how to best help you. Other clinicians-- and I'd include myself in this category-- have had the privilege of working with a wide range of demographics, symptoms, and life issues.
Feeling things out is an important step in finding the right therapist. That's why I offer a free 15 minute consultation so you can make sure I'm the right match for you. You can call or send me a message, or even schedule directly on my calendar through my website.
Why Going to Therapy Does Not Mean You are Weak or Flawed
While conversations have certainly changed around mental health in recent years, stigma persists. There remain age-old, and often cultural, ideas that having a mental health problem is a sign of weakness or moral failure.
This couldn't be further from the truth, however. Should we shame a person with a broken leg for not walking into the kitchen and getting them a glass of water? Mental illness is a condition, a constellation of symptoms bothering a person in some way. People from all backgrounds, careers, and life stages can benefit from therapy.
If you'd like to know more, check out this blog post I put up on my website: https:mindandprose.comthree-reasons-mental-illness-is-a-condition-not-personal-failure
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.