My background is in Christian ministry – working with youth, young adults, relational environments, and city outreach. I’m a relationally driven person, so I loved the opportunity to walk alongside people and become acquainted with their stories – which also meant becoming acquainted with their pain and suffering. Often, I referred out for trauma and relational strain, encouraging people to seek professional help. One day I thought, “What if I was the one people were coming to for help, instead of the one referring people?” This thought put me on a course to gain education, skills, and experience toward that goal. Within the broad fields of mental and behavioral health, I chose to become a Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT) specifically because there were MFTs in my community I had great respect for who became wonderful mentors and exemplars of what it looked like to offer help and hope to the hurting. I essentially said, “I want to do what they do!”
If this is your first time trying therapy, you may feel apprehensive. Doing new things can be scary and uncomfortable! You will have the opportunity to share your concerns and curiosities about the therapy process. We will both share expectations. I will gather information about what brought you to therapy; your current symptoms or challenges; and any relevant history you want to share. To establish goals, I will ask, “How would you know therapy worked? What would make therapy worthwhile?” Your answers help guide the process and give us actionable goals for our time together. Even if you have seen another therapist in the past, this is still a new relationship that takes time and trust to build. As I have heard other clinicians say, “I go to school to learn to become a therapist, but I still learn to become YOUR therapist.” You have a unique background, experience, and personality. Working together, I will prioritize becoming your specific therapist, to meet you where you are and help walk with you to where you would like to be.
I love words and geek out over book recommendations! Current books I am likely to reference and recommend when it comes to behavioral/emotional/
