I help children, teens, and adults who are facing big challenges and struggling with strong emotions - like worry, fear, and sadness - unhook from negative mood states and better understand themselves so they can live life with more confidence and self-compassion.
I use methods and skills from various evidence-based therapies, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness. My most valuable tool, though, is listening to you!
With children and adolescents, I specialize in treating anxiety, obsessive/compulsive behaviors, depression, self-esteem and/or body image issues, insufficient emotion management, impulsivity, peer and family relationship problems, and difficulties arising from stressful life experiences and transitions. I will help your child or teen learn new skills and coping strategies to more flexibly adapt to their specific challenges.
For children, I utilize play therapy where kids can explore and express their feelings through solo or interactive play. I do not direct the play process, rather I support it through my attuned attention, giving space or moving in as needed. I also have a lot of tricks up my sleeve to engage kids! Because you are the expert on your child, parent or caregiver sessions are a regular part of any child therapy. I stay connected with you so we can work together to share insights, celebrate when goals are met, and identify areas that still need attention.
For adolescents, I aim to be a safe adult who can help your teen face their prime years of identity formation with courage and strength, regardless of their particular struggles. I understand the often negative impact of social media on psychological development and will support your teen in skillfully navigating these potent forces. Ultimately, I provide a relational therapy process where your teen can develop a healthy sense of self, clarity about their values, and preparation for their next steps in life.
With adults, I work with a wide variety of mental health issues, from mild to severe forms of anxiety, OCD, disordered eating, depression, and bipolar I & II disorder. I also treat problems with self-esteem, people pleasing, perfectionism, overwork, loneliness, unhealthy relationship choices and patterns, family conflict, health issues, and big life transitions like going to college, graduating from college, launching into the wider world, finding or losing a job, getting married, having a child, struggling with infertility, or going through separation and divorce. Together we can dive deeper into what might be causing you to suffer and break it down into smaller pieces, making what may seem overwhelming or complex much more approachable. I am dedicated to helping you identify, construct, and apply the tools you need to enhance your self-understanding and overall well-being. In the end, it is my hope that you deepen your relationship with yourself and with others in your life, moving into your future with purpose and self-compassion.
Theoretically, I take an integrative approach that values and draws upon relational, insight-oriented, and strengths-based therapeutic modalities. I choose clinical models and interventions based on your unique needs and circumstances and what we find works! As humans, we require authentic connection with ourselves and others to be mentally well. This is why I prioritize making our client-therapist relationship useful to you and making room for your voice, your needs, and your goals for growth and change.
A little more background
I was born and raised in Texas and attended my first University of Texas football game in diapers. My parents regularly showed up to games with me and my twin sister in tow. A life-long Texas fan, I always dreamed of going to UT and, lucky for me, that dream came true! I received both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from UT, where I studied Social Work. It’s no surprise I went into a helping profession. From a very young age, I had an abiding love for all living creatures great and small - humans, animals, plants, you name it. I was the kid on the soccer field who was too busy playing with bugs and picking flowers in the grass to notice the ball! I also stayed close to my family, my teachers, my neighbors, and my friends. It’s safe to say, I value human connection above all else and believe my serving others was predestined. Besides, math and science were never my forte.
As an undergrad, I worked as a Student Researcher in the Psychology department and was a member of several honors organizations as well as the sorority Tri-Delta. I interned at the Center for Child Protection where I developed a parent coaching curriculum and provided crisis intervention and family support for abused children and their families. My experience there awakened my deep tenderness towards traumatized children and a passion for early prevention and intervention in youth mental health. In my free time, I volunteered at various service agencies, including Austin Child Guidance Center, Austin Humane Society, and Texas Home Health Hospice. While serving as a hospice companion for a woman with end-stage COPD - who was highly skeptical of me at first, surely wondering why a young college student would want to spend time hanging out with her - I found I cherished listening to her talk about her life. I not only discovered my love of active listening, I felt so fortunate to be in the presence of such accumulated wisdom! I also learned to sit with the discomfort of heavy grief and suffering and the power of a trusting, authentic relationship.
As a graduate student, I interned at Seton Shoal Creek Hospital where I provided individual, group, and family therapy with patients who presented with serious and chronic mental health problems. I completed my MSSW, graduated with honors, and accepted a full-time position at Ascension Seton, where I worked with children, adolescents, and adults in psychiatric crisis.
My many years at Seton sharpened my skills in assessment, diagnosis and treatment but, more than that, it expanded my ability to meet with people in their darkest moments and help them find hope and healing. Advocating for mental health across the life-span, through providing direct clinical care, is my life’s purpose and one of my greatest joys.
Having encountered my fair share of life’s curveballs, I am a strong believer in the power of self-exploration and its profound contribution to creating a life that is meaningful and worthwhile. I’m fond of saying you cannot overcome that which you do not see or understand! If you’re ready (enough) to do some exploration and find tools to help you feel better, I’d be happy to connect.