My journey began when I volunteered my little brother’s first grade class, this experience gave me the opportunity to witness some of the struggles that children face in and outside of the classroom.
What do you love about being a therapist?
It is my life’s passion and I can say with great certainty that I could not possibly imagine doing anything else! There is no better satisfaction than being part of an individual’s personal growth. I enjoy being people’s support system and advocate to help those people that many times are struggling to help themselves. My favorite part of being a clinician is witnessing first-hand the progress that a person can make with a little assistance and encouragement.
How would you describe yourself as a therapist?
Client-centered! I believe that my clients are the experts on their own lives, and it is my job to learn about them from them and meet them where they are. I am empathetic, humorous, a story teller, warm and non-judgmental. I see my approach as a collaborative effort and take the time to work on building and nurturing trusting therapeutic relationships with my clients.
Who do you love working with in therapy?
I enjoy working with school-age children, adolescents, adults and families. Although my passion began with my work with children, through my education and experience I learned to love and appreciate every stage of a human’s development. As a systemic thinker, I promote and advocate for family therapy whenever possible and appropriate. I believe that there is a lot of power to change, adapt or adjust to a situation when more members of a family are involved in treatment. My areas of focus include but not limited to depression, anxiety, academic and school-related struggles, attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional-defiance, grief and loss, self-harm, parenting, relationship and identity related issues.
Do you have a particular theory or framework that guides your work as a therapist? If so, describe it and tell us why you use that.
I have been trained in multiple approaches such as Solution-Focused Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Brief Strategic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. My philosophy is that the approach should be good fit for the client not the other way around.
Share one thing you are passionate about in your professional or personal life.
Share one thing you are passionate about in your professional or personal life.
A professional goal I set myself post licensure was to become a clinical supervisor. I enjoy being a teacher and leader; becoming a clinical supervisor will give me the opportunity to help others grow professionally and help create the next generation of therapists. This goal will become a reality this year!
My personal passion is traveling! Culture and diversity never seize to amaze me. Although culture shock can be scary and intimidating, I find it fascinating. My goal is to visit all continents. At the end of this year, I will have visited 18 countries in 5 continents. My travels provide me the opportunity to learn about different, backgrounds, idiosyncrasies, traditions, customs and beliefs which I often incorporate into my treatment.
