Have you been feeling like you are walking on eggshells at home?  Dreading the next explosion and unsure of how to keep up with the ever evolving parenting “rules”.

Technology has altered the structure of families and has modified the ways in which our brains process information and feelings. Foundational value systems and family attachment can remain an anchor in this storm. I have witnessed dynamics change in homes through parenting work (yes, it is work and yes, you have the power here!).

CRISIS INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT for parents managing their child’s acute mental health issues, substance use and trauma events. Each situation is different and I have supported many parents navigating care for their children and creating space for parents to lower their own distress.

YOUNG ADULTS are returning home to their parents after living independently more often than not. Rather than regressing backwards, developing new perspectives can foster enriched closeness and reduce conflict. Parent Coaching supports your ability to reset boundaries and expectations while improving the quality of interactions in your home. We will integrate principles from the SPACE & DBT intervention to lower the emotional distress in the home. More mature communication skills will be addressed to transform the relationship into a mutually supportive, respectful environment.

TEENS have an historical developmental job to individuate and seek social supports outside the home. However, remaining connected and supportive as an integrated member of the family has become highly strained. Parent coaching will focus on balancing the time constraints, demanding academics and social obligations placed upon the family. Combining DBT and SPACE skills, new emotional regulation and more peaceful interactions are within your reach.

Positive parenting skills-building seeks to balance responding to the rapid fire demands while remaining grounded in thoughtful actions.  With the support of therapy, parents can examine their family values and design behavioral expectations that make sense.  Using a family-centered approach, we will create a parenting plan that fits the developmental stages and unique personalities of your children.

Has your child been singled out as having social, emotional and/or cognitive issues? As a therapist, I have supported many parents and children struggling to maintain equilibrium.

THERAPY FOR YOUNG ADULTS:

EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD

Are big emotions standing in the way of getting things done?  Both depression and anxiety can cause you to become incapable of managing the workload, or prevent you from getting to class, or meeting up with people (including friends).  Therapy can support you in turning down the volume of the emotions and allow you to feel more capable.  We use skills (DBT, Executive Functions, CBT) and find new perspectives (CBT, ACT and Relational) to allow you to manage the experience of being a college student and enjoy your emerging independence.

RELATIONSHIPS

It is common to feel alone, scared and misunderstood when surrounded by tons of people your age. Some people discover they have social anxiety, some people notice their

relationships are usually filled with “drama”, some people are frustrated by dating and established partners.  Relationships offer up happiness and conflict at the same time.  Therapy can help you to communicate with ease, to recognize your role in difficult relationships, to set healthy boundaries and to discover ways to improve the situation.

IDENTITY: BUILDING A LIFE OOF MEANINNG, SATISFACTION AND BALANCE

So many choices, “Analysis Paralysis” is real.  Do you need some help sorting things out to go discover and go after what you want?  My therapy foundation stands on the idea of FLOURISHING, defined as to grow and thrive with intention.  We examine and prioritize what is instinctually important to you at this time in your life and what your strengths may be.  Next step to is develop a comprehensive plan to get what you want. The beauty of mapping out your identity is you have flexibility to change directions at any time.  However, you will discover that your choices are controlled by a more authentic version of yourself.

“MEDICAL LEAVE” FROM COLLEGE

You may not personally know anyone who has left school for a semester or a year, but I promise you are not alone.  I can support you in viewing this time away as a life changing period while addressing the issues that led to leaving school.  Some common circumstances include; an emotional or “mood disorder” that grew and became uncontrollable, a trauma event, substance over use, failing GPA, or other unique situations.  For several years, I have worked with students to obtain the medical leave, design a plan of therapy and other supports to bring you back to wellness and then cleared students to return to school.

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VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BIG EMOTIONS:

Emotions are nature’s alarm system, paying attention to the message of an emotion is ½ the trick in gaining control. Using “skills” to answer the needs of the emotion is the other ½ of the equation,

Do you feel: Stressed out?  Angry? Lonely? Depressed? Exhausted? Ugly? Stupid? Scared?  Do these feelings get in the way of your life?  You may want to consider solution-focused therapy to lower the intensity of your emotions so you can use emotions to help yourself settle into life with more ease.

IDENTITY:  

Sometimes we allow other people to define us which would leave us confused and unsatisfied.  Having a confidential safe space and a good listener to sort through personal hopes, dreams and identity is the big work that starts in adolescence.  We look at what stands in your way and how to take action to overcome obstacles.  Therapy helps you become who you want to be.  It can be a matter of understanding, owning and nurturing your talents, interests and creativity, or your sexual orientation or gender identity, or finding peace when looking in a mirror.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Relationships with friends and parents may cause problems and you have the power to change how the relationships work.  From drama to bullying to fighting with parents, you cannot force others to change but you can deal with difficult people in a way that will be more comfortable for you.  You can find your own voice and speak out in effective ways to get what you need in relationships.

SELF-HARM:

There are a bunch of self-harming actions people use to relieve painful emotions temporarily only to discover it creates more psychological pain afterwards.  Cutting, Starving, Binging, Excessive use of drugs and alcohol are considered self-harm.. Think of self-harm as your body screaming at you to face difficulties and tackle them in ways that leave you feeling accomplished rather than defeated. Therapy provides both skills and new perspectives to feel heard.

COLLEGE READINESS:

11th Grade can be one of the most stressful years and one of the most exciting. Taking control of your future can be both overwhelming and powerful. If you would like confidentiality and an ally in the process of transitioning to college, therapy can offer a huge support.

My clinical background has focused on working with young people who manage big issues. I have witnessed clients experience transforming serious diagnoses to attaining peace and moving toward their goals. Some issues of focus could be: a trauma event, emerging addictions, self-harming behaviors, major depression, panic attacks, body image, OCD, social isolation and fears.

Therapy for young people has the power to change the course of your life experience and I would be honored to support you in the process.

When a parent witnesses their child struggle in school, with friends or in family experiences it can be a soul crushing and all consuming.  You may notice a pattern of concerning behaviors or worry that a life event has become too overwhelming for your child.

Several developmentally appropriate interventions are available to support your child's ability to navigate their daily experience with more ease.  Child therapy sessions are rooted in a balance of strengthening areas of their developing brains with the experiential aspects of play therapy, sensory therapy and expressive art therapy. I work in partnership with parents to assess a child's needs and to provide a coping skills toolkit.

Depression, Body image, Eating Disorders, OCD, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias and many forms of anxiety-related issues can improve through therapy designed to examine our basic thoughts (cognitions) and how these thoughts impact our feelings and behaviors. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with mindfulness skills and gradual exposures to our sources of fear has been proven to be highly impactful. 

Difficult emotions of stress, sadness, anger can shade our decision-making and cause the unwanted feelings to grow stronger.  Discovering the foundational thoughts that provoke self-destructive behaviors and distressing feelings is the first step. Understanding the “truthfulness” of these thoughts and generating new perspectives about oneself is the start of recovery.

I work with children, teens and young adults who struggle to control impulses that lead to Eating Disorders, OCD, Social Anxiety and Phobias. Treatment is highly individualized and attuned to a client’s developmental level and personal interests. My practice is centered on creating a strong therapeutic alliance at all times.  

We approach managing strong emotions with mindfulness and coping skills that feel natural to young people. Exposure to fears is introduced and practiced in a warm, embracing setting that gently encourages clients to gradually experience their abilities to face big sources of challenge.

DBT is a structured skills therapy with the goal to reduce suffering in order to BUILD A LIFE WORTH LIVING.

Young adults and adolescents are in a unique space in their lives, filled with opportunity and decisions to shape a meaningful future. DBT clients have noticed significant change in emotional responses and effective coping skills.

4 core principles are covered in DBT skills training:

Mindfulness of the Present.

Emotional Regulation to manage difficult, sometimes overwhelming emotions that can be hurtful.

Distress Tolerance to address panic attacks, repetitive intrusive thoughts and manage self-harming urges.

Interpersonal Effectiveness to improve the quality of relationships, impactful self-expression and lower the “drama”.

Grief is an expression of love. Everyone responds to trauma, loss and death differently.  When an adverse event begins to color your experience of life in overwhelmingly dark ways, it may be time to embrace support from a therapist.  

Our brains are designed to store memories in a region that allows us to manage distressing thoughts.  At times, the memories become "stuck" causing images, thoughts and feelings associated with fear and pain to take over, haunt and disable us.  The goal of therapy is to move memories into the their proper place in the brain.

Working in the trauma field has taught me about Post-traumatic Growth.  I have witnessed the power of many children, adolescents and adults emerging from trauma and loss with newly acquired strength and wisdom.  Partnering with you to navigate a comfortable pathway out of pain would be an honor.      

Time Management - Organizational Skills - Working Memory - Impulse Control - Planning & Prioritizing - Flexible Thinking - Emotional Regulation - Sustained Attention - Metacognition/Self-Monitoring

Executive Functions simply translate into the ability strengthen brain skill sets to overcome challenges in life and achieve goals. Everyone experiences both strengths and weaknesses in the executive function realms of the brain, and research indicates this is genetically programmed. Learning skills and habits to adapt is the key to balancing life’s demands.

In the Middle School years, students begin to display strengths and struggles with specific realms of executive functioning. Addressing the less developed areas early can provide a strong foundation for children to succeed in High School and importantly create an internalized sense of self-esteem and self-sufficiency.

Building skills can be coached at any point in life. Often I work with High School and College Students who are acutely aware of the consequences of immature skills development and they begin to experience anxiety or depression. Working with a psychotherapist who is highly trained in executive function coaching provides a strong setting of support.

Executive Function Coaching is structured, goal-oriented and time-limited. The first session begins with assessment and specific, measurable goals are developed. Self-monitoring or “Metacognition” begins the moment one engages in an assessment. Students will learn strategies and work habits to strengthen specific realms of skills and put the learning into action in between sessions.