“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it. -Tori Amos”
Figuring out which therapist can help you with your unique problems can be tough. You want someone with experience and knowledge but deep down you just want to connect and be seen. You want to know the person across from you understands you and perhaps has even been where you are. Someone real who is willing to get into the emotional muck with you and guide you to the other side. Someone with energy, calm, and the occasional bad word. That’s the type of therapist I am.
Life happens to all of us, including me. I’ve been through difficult times. I’ve had to struggle to heal and learn how to care for myself while working and being a mother. I know what it’s like to be scared, to be unsure, and to feel like you might be doing everything wrong. The care and guidance of true friends, a loving family, and, of course, a good professional have helped me through these hard times.
Throughout my 18-year career, I’ve worked with teens, families, and adults who are managing some of the most difficult circumstances. Abuse, trauma, generational dysfunction, divorce, you name it. The ones who have made the most progress and seen the most peace in their lives are the ones who have truly connected and engaged in therapy and in their personal relationships.
Education, strategies and therapeutic protocols are essential to a good therapist. In my work, I use an eclectic array of approaches. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Emotion Focused Family Therapy, to name a few. What they all have in common are validation of thoughts and feelings and concrete strategies to make healthy change.
I had the honor of completing my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work. Licensure in Clinical Social Work was obtained in 2010. Various roles, from in-home therapist, to case manager, to Senior Clinician, all honed my skills. Working in community mental health for Hanover and Chesterfield Counties comprised my formative clinical years and provided a wonderful place to practice and explore my clinical interests.
Brandermill Office