As a clinical psychologist, I view my purpose as helping people in pain, people with questions, and especially people dealing with painful questions. I acknowledge and deeply respect the unique perspectives we all develop in the course of our individual lives’ journeys, and I appreciate that each person is THE definitive expert on themselves – but that doesn’t keep us from being confused, lost, blindsided, dealt a bum hand, uncertain, overwhelmed or just unprepared for what life can throw at us. And sometimes it is just helpful to have another perspective to help us chart our course – one eye gets a pretty good idea of the lay of the land, but you need two for depth perception.
My background doesn’t make me any more or less an expert on YOU, but it does provide you some idea what informs my perspective and what lenses I bring to the table. For as long as I can remember, I have been a listener and a confidant, and sought training in psychology to better use those skills in the service of others. I attended a three-year gifted residential high school program where I experienced first hand the struggles and personal issues common to all youth, as well as some of the unique socialization concerns that often accompany very highly intelligent youth. My six years of experience working as a youth counselor in the Juvenile Justice System gave me a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by some of our most troubled youth, and showed how their resilience persisted and could be strengthened even in very adverse circumstances. While seeking my doctoral degree, I worked in a neuropsychology office specializing in QEEG brainmapping and neurofeedback, a low income clinic specializing in treating the Indian and Pakistani communities in the suburbs, and Meier Clinic’s Christian Counseling center. I have also spent over 10 years working in the nonprofit space, focusing on Hispanic communities and developing and providing psychoeducational curricula for that audience, as well as programs focused on job training, microenterprise development and leadership training for community leaders and in corporate America.
Therapeutically, I tend to work from a humanistic perspective – I believe in the intrinsic value and individuality of each person, that people are generally good and seek to improve themselves and the world in which they live, and that people have the power and responsibility of free will – they are not controlled (though they are certainly influenced) by external forces or subconscious urges. I conduct psychometric evaluations to help clients and their networks better understand themselves and plan more effectively to make necessary changes, build supports, and identify key strengths that can be relied upon to face future challenges. I have been trained by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in the provision of hypnotherapy. I also draw on tools from other perspectives as relevant and useful for individual clients, including cognitive-behavioral exercises, gestalt work, creative and projective activities.
I especially enjoy working with adolescents and young adults grappling with transitions and issues of self-identity, but I see clients of all ages. My family background is Christian (LCMS and Catholic), but I am open to seeing clients of any faith. I strive to provide an LBGTQA+ positive and safe atmosphere. If you feel that we might be a good fit for your issue, please feel free to reach out to me directly using the below information.
Contact Information:
Phone: 331-241-6448
