I provide mental health counseling for individuals ages 14 and older. I mindfully integrate a few specifically chosen approaches to provide care coordinated to the client’s needs. The primary modalities used include attachment theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, EMDR, as well as existential considerations. Additional interventions and psychoeducation pulling from somatic theory, CBT, and DBT may be integrated as needed. I can also help you build communication skills, coping skills, build new habits, and practice mindfulness, and these tools are often integrated throughout treatment.

Although the treatment modality is an important consideration in therapy, the most important factor within an effective therapeutic relationship is cultivating a space of support, safety, and trust - it is my belief that this is vital for the growth and healing. Working collaboratively with clients and respecting your autonomy and lived experience are core to my values as a therapist.

S.A.F.E. - Somatic and Attachment Focused Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an EMDRIA approved EMDR approach designed to treat PTSD and a variety of other mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. The SAFE approach includes a special focus on body-centered and attachment concerns. SAFE is built upon a foundation of nonviolence and mindfulness, with the client’s autonomy in session held as a paramount value.

The SAFE approach is unique in its use of tools designed to deepen awareness of the ways in which we have adapted and formed attachment patterns as a result of our experiences. The integration of these considerations make this approach especially helpful for people who have experienced childhood attachment wounds or adverse childhood experiences, or those who have struggled to find healing through traditional EMDR or other trauma therapies.

S.A.F.E is taught through 40 training hours and 10 consultation hours through the Personal Transformation Institute, an EMDRIA approved training organization.

Through Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I take a short-term approach to reduce the impact of distress, to open up to be present, and to move forward with what is most important to you - All with the goal of helping you live a more meaningful life.

Most FACT treatment will be held in less than 10 sessions, may have greater time flexibility outside of standard 55-minute therapy sessions (if desired and recommended), and take a more directive approach with the end goal of building or refining one specific tool or exploring one specific concept each session.

This treatment approach is ideal for clients who struggle with anxiety or feeling stuck in life, are open and ready to be challenged, willing to apply homework with an open mind, and are not in crisis. Unlike traditional mental health counseling approaches here at ACW, this approach has only has a limited focus on unpacking trauma, attachment patterns, and personal history, and instead highlights defusing from current repeated barriers and negative narratives of self in order to move forward with a more fulfilling future.

Couples therapy may include one of two modalities, Gottman Couples Counseling or Discernment Counseling.

Gottman Couples Counseling highlights building a stable foundation of a relationship, moving away from conflict patterns which disrupt our connection with our partner, and cultivating healthier communication skills. The practice of couples therapy at ACW is best suited for couples who are not engaged in infidelity or violence, and are not currently experiencing significant individual mental health concerns. Rather, it is best suited for couples hoping to apply skills to work together as a partnership and better cherish their relationship.

Discernment Counseling is a method of short-term decision-making designed to aid couples who are considering divorce or permanent separation, usually with one partner leaning towards working on the relationship, and the other leaning towards leaving. Discernment Counseling is conducted in 5 sessions or less. At its foundation, the therapist is not determining for the couple whether or not they will work on their relationship or separate. The counselor is facilitating a conversation around this sensitive subject with an approach of safety, support, and with the goal of decision-making. The therapist aids with interpreting and communicating each individual’s thoughts and feelings and helps to outline what working on the relationship would entail moving forward, or what separating would entail. Please call for consult for more information about discernment counseling.