About Therapy

You’ve come to the right place…

Unresolved trauma and mood disorders can manifest themselves in many ways, with information from the wounded spirit becoming aware of thoughts and emotions.

Common symptoms include volatile relationships, inability to form new and close relationships with others, fatigue, and rapidly changing moods. They can also include disconnection from self and reality, suicidal thoughts or attempts, inability to maintain work, abusing substances or excessive drinking, and lack of passion and interest in living.

Trauma can touch every part of your life.

Trauma may prevent you from finding love or romance, making new friends, mending existing relationships, or keeping a job. In response to uncomfortable and scary thoughts and emotions, your behavior might become erratic and self-destructive.

A trauma response can happen when confronted with things that remind us of the circumstances related to the original damage. It could be entering a new relationship, loud noises or yelling, perceived shame and guilt, large groups of people, social events, work stress, interacting with a perpetrator, interacting with family, death, intimacy, and sex, or being/feeling alone.

In a trauma response, it will be impossible to function well at home or work. In these moments, so many resources of the nervous system and brain are spent on identifying and resolving a perceived threat that critical thought and logic cannot form.

Many times, there won’t actually be an external threat, leaving you confused and feeling ashamed of your inability to “keep it together.”

I’m here to hold this safe space for you… so that you can heal and be happy again.

Every human needs nurturing from the inside and out.

As your therapist, my role is to nurture you in a way that reminds you that you are not alone, are worthwhile, and deserve love.

I use a person-centered approach developed by Carl Rogers that requires three specific conditions to be met in the therapeutic relationship; empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.

I will walk with you through your inner world and know it to be true, I will always be real and honest with you, and I will always see you in a positive light no matter what you tell me. Healing can only occur in an environment where these three conditions are consistently met.

I understand therapy can be challenging…

Therapy is hard work and can be overwhelming. Often, there can be immediate relief from therapy. However, it is just as likely that you may feel more dysregulated emotionally for a short period when beginning the healing process.

As we begin the exploration of painful past events, feelings of anxiety and shame may resurface. You have probably had a wound on your physical body that required cleaning to prevent or heal an infection at some point in your life.

This hurts! But then it feels better. Therapy is the same process – instead of healing the physical body, we are healing the spirit/soul.

Trust that I will be with you throughout the healing process and that you will be continuously assessed to determine a plan that fits your individual experience and the unique conditions in your reality.

My therapy style…

First, I love to teach about the human brain and how it reacts to stress. There is a science behind your mind, body, feelings, and behaviors. Knowing more about how it all works makes you realize that your struggles aren’t your fault.

Second, we focus on rebuilding your sense of safety, trust, and resilience. It is difficult to move through the world without a feeling of trust and safety. Our therapeutic relationship is important because I offer you a place to feel what it is like to trust again while feeling safe. I provide tools to help you trust yourself to make the right decisions for you.

Your emotional and mental health healing process can make you feel vulnerable. Finding a qualified, compassionate professional whom you feel comfortable with and are willing to trust is a crucial first step toward achieving optimum emotional and mental health and well-being.

Third, you’ll learn psychological tools to calm your nervous system and respond to your inner critic with compassion and confidence.

Safe Calm Place: Through bilateral stimulation, you and I will build a place deep in your spirit and mind that you can go to anytime you feel scared out in the world and need safety. This will help to bring a sense of peace and calmness, knowing that there is a safe place you can go to no matter where you are.

Finally, we can process past trauma when you’re ready. Together, we identify events in your life that resulted in negative core beliefs that became deeply rooted in you. Don’t worry: We’ll only do this when you’re ready. I’ll never rush you, and I’ll be with you every step.

To heal, we will be engaged in a deep interpersonal connection that uses EMDR (bilateral stimulation) and a holistic, person-centered theoretical model for personality change.

Believe in yourself because I believe in you.

Call me now at (209) 791-6191 to set up a free 30-minute consultation.

We’ll discuss your needs and see if we are a good fit to work together.