BEGIN WITHIN: THE COURAGE TO CHANGE

APPROACH

“Love yourself. Accept yourself. Forgive yourself. And be good to yourself. For without you, the rest of us would be without a source of many wonderful things.”

-Leo Buscaglia

My therapeutic approach is strength-based, solution-focused, and designed to develop a trusting relationship with my clients.  I believe in an empathic, non-judgmental, and genuine discourse, to help promote positive and lasting changes.

Through active and compassionate listening, collaborative exploration, and a warm-hearted sense of humor, I provide a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for all genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ethnicities. 

My mission is to help you build emotional resilience and teach you skills that will help you make lasting change in a healthy, adaptive way.  I help adolescents, 20-somethings and adults identify their strengths, feel more connected in their lives, and develop alternative perspectives to challenging situations.

I utilize various interventions depending on your individual needs and desired outcomes.  The primary modalities that I utilize in treatment are:

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that helps people recognize when thoughts and behaviors are leading to negative feelings or problematic consequences. CBT aims to help people become aware of the way thoughts & beliefs affect their mood, self-concept, and relationships.

 

ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a treatment approach that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. It is an action-oriented intervention that is effective for treating anxiety, depression, and other stress-inducing conditions.   ACT teaches mindfulness skills to help individuals live and behave in ways consistent with personal values while developing psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility means contacting the present moment fully in service of moving towards what is truly important in ones life.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is an integrative approach that combines imagery, mindfulness, and cognitive techniques. It’s an effective therapy that enables people to heal from the emotional distress of disturbing life experiences. EMDR is a multi-phase, structured treatment that is designed to meet each client’s specific treatment needs. 

COMPASSION-FOCUSED THERAPY (CFT)

Compassion-focused Therapy (CFT) was developed to help people who struggle with shame and self-criticism. CFT is a process of developing compassion for the self and others to increase well-being and aid in recovery.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or Tapping combines principles of modern psychology with ancient Chinese acupressure. These gentle, yet powerful techniques help to process difficult emotions, calm your nervous system, and improve neuroplasticity or your brain’s ability to restructure itself. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to decrease cortisol, the body’s stress hormone and reduce the physical and psychological impact of memories that trigger emotional distress. When we calm our nervous system & feel more relaxed in our bodies, we can be more present with life.