I have been working with adolescents and young adults since the beginning of my career. I started my mental health counseling career working as a Behavioral Health Specialist at Timberline Knolls. While in that position I focused on supporting young adults with diagnoses of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addiction, and eating disorder. After six months in that position, I transitioned into a group therapist role as an Eating Disorder Specialist. I had become the main group therapist and Eating Disorder Specialist for the adolescent lodge. I facilitated psychoeducational, process, and experiential groups, which focused on self-image, eating disorders, and body image. Thanks to my experience as a group therapist for adolescents at Timberline Knolls, I have gained the knowledge and the competence to work with diagnoses of: anxiety, depression, bipolar, eating disorders, addiction, self-harm, and trauma.
My therapy approach is a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and compassion-focused therapy (CFT). CBT focuses on changing our thoughts and/or behaviors to influence our emotions. DBT is a skill-based model that focuses on mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. CFT focuses on cultivating compassion towards self, one’s experiences, and others to create a life of wellness without suffering.
My ultimate goal as a counselor is to encourage and help young minds learn about themselves, learn new skills, and start utilizing those new insights into their daily lives so that they can begin to move mountains and achieve their best lives.