Individual Therapy

I approach individual therapy from a systemic point of view.  Looking at an individual through their development or experiences within their family or community helps me to understand the client's behavior and thoughts better.  

Using tools from Bowen Multigenerational Family Therapy, I help clients to identify how behaviors have been passed down.  Being able to establish a healthy independence and maintain autonomy is paramount in overcoming issues such as depression or anxiety.  

I use Cognitive Behavior Therapy to work with clients on restructuring their behaviors and Cognitive Processing Therapy to restructure their thoughts and beliefs.  Both of these modalities are used in trauma work and are evidence based.

I cater my treatment to the client and am "Semper Gumby" (always flexible) with my approach.  I work to empower my clients and help them find their strength.

Couples Therapy

Military relationships deal with a lot of different variables.  Deployments, PCSing, transferring units or MOS, and even transitioning out of the military causes instability in various ways.  These are only a few ways change causes stress in the military.

I approach couple's therapy with focusing on the values most important to y'all.  Starting with learning to communicate and listen to one another can jump start any relationship.  Using therapy approaches such as Solution-Focused Family Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, and Experiential Therapy, I focus on the family system and bring them back to a healthy balance.  Learning to listen and understand each other, while also developing new coping skills to deal with every day stressors will help the family come together and develop into a healthy environment.  Whether you are a couple, single parent, or blended family, therapy will help with all aspects.

All things can be improved, changed, and bettered with just a little support, no matter how big or small. With couples therapy, you’ll learn how to communicate your feelings and needs, and get what you want out of your relationship.

PTSD

Have you experienced a traumatic event? Are you suffering from lingering fear and anxiety? Do you feel like you no longer have any control over how you think, feel, and behave?

Posttraumatic stress disorder - also known as PTSD - is a mental health challenge that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a terrorist act, an act of war, a serious accident, rape, or any other violent personal assault.

It is believed that PTSD affects nearly four percent of the U.S. adult population. While it is usually linked with veterans who’ve experienced combat, PTSD occurs in all people regardless of age, race, nationality, or culture. In fact, women are twice as likely to experience PTSD than men.

What are the Symptoms of PTSD?

People with PTSD often experience intense thoughts and feelings related to their traumatic experiences. These can last for a long time after the initial event. Many people with PTSD also relive the event through flashbacks and nightmares.

People with PTSD often feel intense emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and detachment from friends, family, and community members. They often avoid people and situations that remind them of the traumatic event. Ordinary sounds or incidents such as a door banging or accidental touch in a crowd may cause a strong and uncontrollable reaction.

How Can Treatment Help?

There are a variety of treatments that can be used to treat PTSD. However, there are three specific techniques that are consistently gaining research-based evidence of their effectiveness in successfully treating PTSD.

• Cognitive Processing Therapy – This modality focuses on how a person perceives a traumatic event and processes it. A therapist can help their client work through stuck points, which are certain thoughts related to the trauma that prevents the person from recovering. 
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT is a form of talk therapy that focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are related to one another. The goal of a CBT therapist is to help a client with PTSD return to a place of hope with a greater sense of being in control of their thoughts and behaviors.