Aim & Approach

My aim is for you to realize from the moment you enter my office that you are in a safe, non-judgmental space in which you will be treated with respect in all aspects of the therapeutic relationship, from using your chosen pronouns to seeing you as a whole person beyond any label you may have been given.

I am not a therapist who strictly listens without engaging.  You can expect that I will, at times and out of a supportive place, challenge you to consider perspectives outside your comfort zone.  I enjoy providing exercises that you can use in real-life which may help to manage current stressors while, if appropriate, also exploring where these concerns originated to help you process these patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.  I come from a Multicultural framework and, as such, I strive to let your own experience inform our relationship and to learn from you. In all cases, we start with you—What are your goals? Where are you coming from?  What do you feel you need?

Although at times I may give advice, I rarely give answers. For one, I am not you and, although I may think there could be a solution for a particular hardship, you know yourself better than I do.  I would much rather collaborate to help empower you to make a decision that you own rather than rob you of the chance to prove to yourself that you have assets.  You just may need me to point these assets out.

I will utilize different methods depending on your goals.  And, if you’re not sure what goals you have, I can help you figure those out.  Often, I like to use a modality called Motivational Interviewing because it focuses on your insight into an area of concern, and what you feel you’re ready to do.  It can also define potential obstacles to your desired outcomes so that we can discuss and overcome them. At the same time, I can provide you with some tools to work on goals that may feel more immediate (although you might find that you end up digging a bit deeper in order to achieve them).  I sometimes will draw from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, as a means of strengthening skills because it teaches methods that, with practice, enable you to effect change.