I have been employed in the mental health and social services field in Coos County for several years, which has allowed me to work with a variety of populations. While working toward my counseling degree, I was a college career coach and then a case manager where I learned about the needs and experiences of the elderly and adults with disabilities. I earned my M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University in 2017 and was hired at a local agency as a therapist and case manager working with adults experiencing chronic mental illness. I have spent the last five years in several of our local schools as a school-based mental health therapist counseling youth ages 8-18. I am registered with the State of Oregon as a licensed professional counselor and am recognized as a National Certified Counselor with the National Board of Certified Counselors. I am committed to always learning more to further build my skills and knowledge and have completed additional training in cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), clinical treatment and issues for LGBTQ youth and adults and CBT for insomnia. I am currently completing training courses to specialize in ADHD.
How does therapy work?
Therapy is a personal, individualized process that allows a person to have a safe, non-judgmental place to open up about anything that might be making life a little tough, or a lot tough. Therapy is a place to talk about past and current events, how you feel and how you react, and what barriers might be getting in your way. Depending on what issues you are facing, we may delve deep and come to a greater understanding of the what and why of your experiences or we may decide to take a solution-focused approach and just move forward with change. With either approach, we will set goals, monitor your progress and adapt as needed. Coping skills and behavioral change will be a focus in treatment and "homework" is typically part of the practice. Homework might include practicing breathing, mindfulness, movement, tracking thought patterns and the use of other strategies that you might learn.
Through the therapeutic process, clients can get "unstuck", learn new coping strategies, gain insight to better understand themselves or situation, and they can learn to ride life's waves with greater ease.