I am so glad that you are here—starting your journey and finding your next steps to be the best you that you can be. My goal is to help you be your best version of yourself. I believe that we all hold the ability to change and grow but that sometimes things in life can become a stumbling block. I will always work to address the root issue of what brings you into therapy. I will work to meet you exactly where you are. My background: A little bit about me as you work to find the right fit for you—I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has spent the last decade working with substance use treatment, adult mental health, and child mental health, both in outpatient and community-based settings. However, my speciality is working with trauma and attachment treatment with individuals of all ages. Credentials: I am an EMDRIA EMDR certified therapist which is an evidenced based trauma treatment for individuals of all ages. I am fully rostered in Child Parent Psychotherapy which is an evidenced based model for children 0-6 that uses a trauma and attachment lens to support the caregiver and child in healing from traumatic or stressful events. What I tell new clients: the first session is a time for you to see if I am the right fit for you and me to make sure I have the skillset to meet your needs. You won’t hurt my feelings if you want to go somewhere else—you will spend a lot of time, energy, and, often, money so you want this to be what you need. Other things about me: I am pretty laid back. I often have my feet propped up on the ottoman or pulled up in my chair; I am informal in my language—I want our sessions to be a conversation between everyday people, not where you’re trying to make sense of confusing language I use humor in sessions. I tell clients that if we’re going to go to the depths of our pain (which we will), then at least we’re going to laugh along the way. I am going to ask you to connect to your body. This might not make sense now, but I often use Polyvagal theory and other modalities that ask us to connect our emotions, thoughts, experiences, and our physical sensations/felt experience. I am a trauma and attachment therapist at heart. This means that I am looking for themes and connections from your history and how those are impacting your present day life. How I think of a presenting problem: Here’s how I make sense of what you bring into the therapy room. Think of a tree: the leaves of the tree represent your externalized symptoms (irritability, impulsivity, difficulty in relationships with others; usually what brings you in to treatment); the branches represent your internalized symptoms (GI issues, headaches/migraines, high blood pressure, lack of self-worth, thoughts of death); the trunk of the tree represents your core beliefs (I’m defective, I’m unlovable, I’m responsible; these are reinforced over time); then there are the roots of the tree that represent your earliest moments where these core beliefs were installed (Adverse Childhood Experiences, attachment wounds).