Approach to Therapy
I’m passionate about working with people who are trying to carve out their path and be true to themselves. When you are finding your own way in the world, you can encounter all sorts of obstacles. Some of the difficulties might come from the outside, from your communities - in the form of pushback from others, social stigma, or gatekeeping. Other challenges might seem to come from inside yourself - like self-doubt, guilt, shame, ambivalence, and hesitation. It can be easy to take the path of least resistance (most people do), especially when it keeps things on an even keel. Still, if you live on autopilot for too long, you can lose yourself. This conflict leaves many people feeling apathetic, dead inside, stuck, overwhelmed, or helpless. It requires real work to find yourself, identify your path, or move forward. It’s heavy lifting, but if it’s been weighing on you for a while, you might be in the right place.
I believe that therapy is a unique space where you can critically examine your life, learn from your past, develop greater honesty with yourself, improve your relationships and communication skills, broaden horizons, and identify values and sources of meaning and purpose. My style in session is to be both supportive and collaborative, as well as inquisitive and challenging. Sessions are based on where you are at and what you need. I want to help you get in touch with yourself - minus the masks and social expectations. We can work together to help you experience yourself with clarity, interrupt faulty patterns and self-defeating beliefs, increase resilience, and make important changes so you can live more of the life you want to be living. To be clear, I do not see you as “broken,” nor should you expect that I am going to try to “fix” you. Instead, I can hold space for you and the challenging questions you are struggling with right now. I will work with you to identify the opportunities within yourself for accessing your capacity for change.
I would describe myself as warm, curious, creative, and intuitive. I can also be a bit nerdy and laugh about life’s absurdities. My expertise is working with folks experiencing chronic health issues, members of LGBTQ+ communities, healers and healthcare workers, creative individuals, and people searching for greater meaning in their lives. If working with me sounds like the right fit for you, please reach out.
Qualifications
I am a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Maryland (#20891) and in the District of Columbia (# LC200002209). In 2008, I earned my Bachelors in Psychology at Goucher College, with a specialized track in humanistic-existential, transpersonal, and relational psychology. After graduating, I spent several years working in research related jobs, including working at Johns Hopkins as a research assistant and assistant session guide for psilocybin studies related to meditation practice and cancer and death anxiety. I earned my Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2015. I completed my first field placement internship at St. Vincent De Paul, in case management and support services. My second field placement internship was at Chase Brexton, a federally qualified health center providing specialized care to members of the LGBTQ community and individuals living with HIV. I worked at Chase Brexton upon graduation, serving as intensive case manager for individuals with HIV and multiple complex chronic health issues. Most recently, I worked at AbsoluteCARE, providing short-term intensive case management services for individuals with complex chronic health issues in inpatient, outpatient, and community settings. My focus, throughout this time, has been providing psychotherapeutically-oriented, social justice-informed care that is collaborative and supportive for individuals who are undertaking major life changes.
