My specializations in clinical psychology include the following areas:
Women's Perinatal Mental Health:
Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, OCD, and PTSD
Identity and role changes, relationship conflict, sleep, and breastfeeding
Modifying negative schemas and core beliefs that interfere with adjustment to parenthood
Exposure therapy for anxiety
(IPT and Maternal Mental Health certified, Lactation Educator Certified)
Medical Trauma and Chronic Illness :
Adjustment to Diagnosis
Coping with Treatment
Identity changes during and after illness
Finding purpose and meaning in your experience
Post-traumatic Growth, Defining your Values
Trauma and the Nervous System:
Increasing your window of tolerance; decreasing reactivity and anxiety
Breath Work, somatic techniques, and engaging your physical body
Distress tolerance, Emotional Regulation and DBT skills building
(Clinical Trauma Treatment and Breath-Work Training Certified)
My Approach:
First and foremost, I bring myself, life experience, and humanity to my psychotherapy practice. I work from a trauma-informed care model in which behavior is viewed as being adaptive for our survival at some time in the past. This is a non-pathologizing approach that helps reframe behaviors as functional rather than dysfunctional. When we experience overwhelming, sometimes life threatening experiences, we attempt to resolve these and cope to the best of our ability at that time. However, these thoughts. feelings, and behaviors may not be adaptive in our lives anymore. They may be outdated and holding us back, worsening our mood or relationships.
I focus on both self-compassion and change. I believe each of us has unique resources for dealing with adversity, and I enjoy helping clients identify their own strengths and islands of competence. I hope to help guide clients from trauma toward a new chapter of life, enriched with clear values, meaning, and purpose. Therapy is about more than symptom reduction.
I utilize IPT and CBT approaches to help you change the beliefs you hold in your mind and the actions you take in your day. Together, we will build your personal toolbox for self-regulation and distress tolerance so you can feel more in control.
As an evidence-based therapist, I maintain a personal practice of keeping up with clinical research, professional consultation, and essential self-care that keeps me informed and replenished for effective clinical work. In my downtime, I spend time with my active family, try to be as close to nature and animals as I can, and dabble in the creative arts.
