Before discovering psychotherapy and the world of psychology, my first passion was outside. Rock climbing, mountain biking, outdoor leadership and team building; these were more than hobbies, they became my first career, providing me financial support throughout graduate school, and providing adventures and stories to last a lifetime. But more important than all others, these things helped me find my best and lifelong friends. This thread, the importance of relationships and how they change our lives, runs through my life both outside the office as well as within and is reflected in my work with clients. The core of my work within psychotherapy is focusing on how we relate to others, and how understanding and examination of the ways in which we relate can empower us to live more genuine, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
I believe that psychotherapy can facilitate gaining a better understanding of ourselves, helping you to become more resilient and improve your sense of self. In line with that goal, my way of working not only focuses on reducing the symptoms that brought you into therapy; it aims to understand the underlying causes of them. Starting from a framework that emphasizes a compassionate and collaborative relationship, our work will provide the space for you to explore and recover from the concerns that brought you into psychotherapy. As a result, research has shown that this form of psychotherapy facilitates change that not only helps to reduce the difficulties that you began therapy with, it helps people to maintain therapeutic gains and even to continue to grow long after therapy ends.
I received my doctoral training from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and completed my doctoral internship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. My training was from a generalist perspective, meaning I have experience treating a wide range of difficulties that may bring people into therapy. However, I find that based on my way of working I am particularly helpful to patients who struggle in relationships; with romantic partners, family, friends, and even those at work, as well as those that are dealing with anxiety and depression. Additionally, I have had specialized experience and interest in working with those in romantic and intimate relationships around issues of identity, connection, and sexuality.
I also provide affirmative psychotherapy to members of the LGBTQ community. For all that I see in psychotherapy, I have interest in how aspects of identity and culture interact with our psychology. I seek to help patients better understand how aspects of their identity interact with their lives and relationships, as well as the symptoms that brought them into psychotherapy
