Psychotherapy

Stigma surrounding mental health has decreased greatly in recent years, but many people still believe that you need to have a mental health diagnosis to benefit from therapy. This is not the case! Therapy is an investment in yourself and your life. There doesn't need to be a major life transition to warrant therapy. Come on in as you are!

I believe wholeheartedly that the best approach to therapy is a collaborative one in which we work together to find the methods that will best work for you. I use a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy to help you live in the "here and now" while also exploring how past events may be affecting you in the present. Depending on your goals, I may also incorporate spirituality and other psychotherapeutic methods to help you reach your goals.

For Adults, Teenagers, and Children
Do you find that you’re more irritable than you’d like to be? Is your self-esteem not where you want it? Has anxiety taken over your life? Or perhaps you’d like insight into how your past is affecting your present? Set aside an hour a week to learn coping skills, address thoughts that aren’t helping you, and get the insight that you’re searching for to live the life that you want.

For Couples/Partners
Building and maintaining relationships require skills and knowledge. Let’s normalize taking time to learn and practice these skills, and give ourselves and our people a break from unfair expectations of having it all “figured out.”

Therapy is a safe place to examine relationship and communication patterns and learn skills to bring these closer to our values.

Group Therapy

I am currently forming two therapy groups at this time. One will be focused on life transitions, such as making the jump from high school to college, for neurodivergent young people. A formal diagnosis of ASD and/or ADHD is not required and all forms of neurodivergence, including self-identification, will be welcome. The second group will be a support group for transgender teenagers. This group will be open to anyone from the ages of 12 - 19 that identifies as transgender or gender nonconforming. You are welcome to participate regardless of where you are in the transition process.

At this time, both groups will be conducted via Telehealth due to space limitations at my office. If you or your child are interested in participating in either group, please reach out with any questions, or to be added to my waitlist.

Psychological Evaluations

Psychological evaluations are available for individuals in need of a psychological diagnosis for things such as surgical clearance for bariatric or gender confirmation surgery, IEP/504 plans, etc. This will consist of a 90 minute clinical interview with me followed by a report summarizing my findings. Note that this does not include psychological testing. If I feel that cognitive testing is needed to confirm my diagnosis, I will refer out to a clinical psychologist.

What Can I Expect in Therapy?
At your first session, your intake paperwork will be reviewed, and you will be encouraged to ask any questions you may have. I will follow your pace, so you don’t feel rushed. You can expect that plenty of time with be devoted to building rapport and creating a safe space tailored to your needs and goals. You can share what influenced your choice to begin therapy and what you hope you accomplish through this collaboration. I will ask follow-up questions and make plans for future sessions.

At this time, sessions will occur via Telehealth using Simple Practice or at my City of Fredericksburg office. Simple Practice is a HIPAA compliant Telehealth platform.

Additionally, note that I am currently under supervision as a Supervisee in Clinical Social Work working towards my full LCSW license. I am under the supervision of Erin Guiffre, MSW, BCBA, LBA, LCSW.