Anxiety
Do you feel exhausted with the constant worry that is running around in your mind? Do you obsessively replay events that happened yesterday? Maybe you are always on edge. You cannot seem to shut your mind off. You avoid activities that make you nervous. You obsess over checking and organizing things. You have an excessive fear of getting sick. Are your loved ones telling you that you worry too much? Does the worst possible scenario often play out in your brain?
If this sounds like you, you are not alone. Through therapy, you will gain awareness of the causes of your anxiety and insight into your unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors. You will learn how to use mindfulness to bring awareness to the present moment so your body and mind can feel safe without needing to retreat into the past or future. I will teach you how to be non-judgemental of your thoughts, accepting them as they are.
Together, we will work to build a new mindset with increased awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. With this new shift in thinking, you will be released from the weight of anxiety bringing freedom for your mind and peace for your body.
Christian Counseling
Are you a Christian looking to integrate your faith into counseling? Do you have hurt from the church or other relationships and now question God? Has a loss or an illness made it difficult to continue to have hope in God? Faith and religion can feel messy, and therapy is a safe space to process this.
As a Christian myself, I understand the brokenness of the world and the complexities between God, church, and religion. I have a Biblical Leadership degree and have worked in ministry for many years which gives me the education, understanding and experience to incorporate Biblical principles, truth, and prayer into our sessions. I will give you the space to freely discern questions about suffering, uncertainty, fear, doubt, purpose, and faith.
Through Christian counseling, you will physically, emotionally, and spiritually process the psychological pain of your past to facilitate healing through the light of Christ. It is my goal that after our time together, you will have a renewed sense of hope and faith in God.
Parenting
Do you feel that your child is not responding well to your boundaries? Maybe you don’t even know what limits to put in place with your kids. Do you need help with parenting strategies that actually work? As parents, the struggles that we experience with our children often bring up our own personal insecurities and issues. Kids can bring out both the best and the worst in us.
Common parenting topics addressed in therapy:
+ Positive parenting strategies
+ Healthy communication with children
+ Boundaries and discipline
+ Personal growth and identity as a parent
In therapy, I will help you understand your child, their development, and their behavior in a way that is supportive of their growth. I will teach you positive parenting strategies as well as how to set appropriate boundaries and limits. This will minimize chaos in your home and allow you to form a deeper and more trusting relationship with your child.
Somatic Therapy: Mind Body Connection
Does your heart start to race when you encounter certain situations or people? Does your body tell you something might be wrong before your mind does? There is a strong connection between your mind and body that often goes unrecognized.
Through therapy, you will learn how your thoughts influence your emotions and body sensations. You will learn to be mindful- to be present and feel safe in your body. You will begin to tolerate uncomfortable feelings, decreasing physical symptoms of anxiety, and experiencing contentment in your body.
Disordered Eating
Are you constantly thinking about food? Does the scale dictate what your mood will be? Perhaps you force yourself to exercise for hours on end when you ate "too much." Or maybe you are always on a diet, desperately seeking a quick fix to finally make you feel better about your body? The truth is food is meant to nourish your body, not cause distress to it.
Disordered eating and preoccupation with food and your body can be caused by a disconnection between your mind and physical self and avoidance of your emotions. Through therapy, we will focus on shifting your patterns of thinking about food and movement to bring about kindness toward your body – creating a healthier relationship with you, your body, and food. You will learn body acceptance and neutrality, and how to be compassionate to yourself.
Family of Origin
Through a deep analysis of the family that you grew up in, you will uncover beliefs and narratives that were ingrained in you as a child. Oftentimes, these story patterns that emerge in your adult life are a direct reflection of your childhood – sometimes helpful, sometimes hurtful.
Some Examples of Early Life Challenges:
- Childhood trauma (physical, sexual or emotional abuse)
- Critical or dismissive parenting styles in childhood
- Living in a chaotic, fear-based environment in childhood
- Death or a long-term illness of a parent, sibling, or loved one
- Witnessing volatile, interpersonal conflict between parents
- Boundary violations and codependencies
During therapy, I use techniques such as narrative storytelling, re-parenting your inner child, and psychoeducation. By learning about your past, being kind to yourself and reframing the negative core beliefs you have, you will create a new pattern of thoughts that move you toward your goals. You will create a new storyline for both you and the little girl inside of you.
Relationships
Do you struggle to set boundaries in relationships? Are your relationships with others marked by conflict, or do you try to avoid disagreements altogether? Are you a people-pleaser putting everyone else's needs before your own, causing you to feel emotionally drained and resentful? Maybe you have surface level friendships, unable to make deep connections, so you wonder if you will ever feel fulfilled. Perhaps you are in a relationship where you cannot trust your partner or where you’ve been mistreated, but cannot seem to end the relationship. Emotional abuse is a common symptom in unhealthy relationships and setting clear boundaries is critical to healing.
In therapy, you will learn how to set healthy boundaries that protect you from harmful relationships. You will be able to identify patterns to stop the repeated cycle of abuse. You will be empowered to use effective communication skills to clearly express your needs – while saying “no” to harmful relational patterns. You will work to build life-giving and meaningful relationships in your life.
Transitions
Are you entering a new phase of life?
+ College
+ Motherhood
+ Marriage
+ New Career
+ Kids moving out
+ Divorce
+ Caregiver to aging parents
+ Retirement
Life is hard. Life is especially hard when our “normal” gets shaken up. Whether the change is wanted or not, these shifts from one season of life to the next are challenging.
Through individualized therapy, I will create a safe space for you – whether you need to grieve the loss of the last season or prepare for the one to come. You will be free to process and explore the past while planning and dreaming for the future. During our time together, it is my hope that you will create a healthy “new normal” for this season of your life.
Grief, Loss, and Trauma
Does the heaviness of grief after the death of a loved one weigh you down? Are you unable to get rid of the intrusive thoughts from a traumatic childhood event? Or maybe you are experiencing a different type of grief - the loss of the image of how you thought your life was supposed to be.
Grief and loss can come in many different forms:
- Death of a loved one
- Loss of a relationship
- Losing a job or primary role
- Divorce
- Infertility or pregnancy loss
- Chronic Illness or physical limitations
Through specific grief and trauma interventions, I will create a space where you are free to feel all of your emotions. Grief is not linear. You can move from contentment to anger to sadness in a moment, and this is normal. I will help you to see that it is ok to not be ok. I will guide you to discover a life where sadness and joy can co-exist. You will be able to process your feelings in a safe, non-judgmental space that will allow you to process your loss, experience the waves of grief as they come, and find glimpses of joy in life again.