Asking for help is never easy. Asking for help with our mental health can be even more difficult because many of us grow up learning to deal with our thoughts and feelings on our own. Whether you decide to seek counseling or not, even the act of learning about the available treatment options is an important step to growth and recovery.
I was lucky enough to attend DePaul University for my Masters program and graduated with a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. DePaul’s counseling program exposed me to a wide array of treatment styles, methods, and orientations.
I have worked extensively with teens, young adults, and adults. I enjoy working with people in life transition moments and people who want to address long-standing emotional and psychological issues. In my work with clients, I use a holistic approach that combines specific therapeutic interventions with an open and inviting environment where clients can speak their minds and mentally unburden themselves. So often, people just need a space where they can fully talk through an issue before feeling ready to make life changes and I very much enjoy holding that cathartic space for my clients. My goal as a counselor is to hold a space for my clients to be truly themselves, without fear of judgment.
My three most used treatment modalities are Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). CBT is a very effective method for people to learn more about how their automatic thoughts influence their emotions and actions in ways that undermine their happiness and life goals. DBT is a therapy that focuses on clients developing coping skills so that they can navigate life's difficult moments and feel more in control of their feelings and behaviors. IFS is a great tool to gain insight into our own emotions and our pasts to see how previous negative experiences affect our current lives.
